Trump’s Pentagon purge reaches NATO: Top US admiral removed

Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, a senior US military representative to NATO, has been dismissed, marking another high-level removal as the Trump administration continues its sweeping overhaul of military leadership, according to multiple US and European officials, quoted by the Military Times.

It remains unclear whether the decision came directly from the Pentagon or the White House. The firing follows a string of removals of national security figures, including Gen. Timothy Haugh, the former head of the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command, shortly after President Donald Trump met with far-right activist Laura Loomer. Loomer later claimed credit for Haugh’s dismissal in a post on X.

Chatfield had served as the US representative to NATO’s Military Committee, a strategic advisory body composed of the alliance’s senior uniformed military officials. The committee guides long-term military planning and supports NATO’s top two commanders.

Brig. Gen. Sean Flynn, currently the deputy representative, will take over in an acting capacity until a permanent replacement is named, a US official said on background.

Chatfield was notably the first woman to lead the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Her leadership and focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives made her a target of some conservative groups. One such group accused her of prioritizing DEI too heavily in a letter sent to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in December.

The Pentagon has not commented on the rationale behind Chatfield’s dismissal, who made the decision, or whether more firings are forthcoming. Reuters was the first to report her removal.

Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, his administration has removed several top-ranking military officers, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife.

While most of the backlash has come from Democratic lawmakers, bipartisan concern surfaced during a recent Senate confirmation hearing for retired Gen. Dan Caine, Trump’s nominee to replace Gen. Brown as chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

European defense officials have also expressed alarm at the removal of a senior US officer at NATO, fearing that the United States may be stepping back from its commitment to the alliance. Gen. Christopher Cavoli, who currently serves as head of US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, is expected to retire this summer.