Coast Guard commandant fired after Trump returns to White House
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Lee Fagan was abruptly fired Monday by the new acting head of the Department of Homeland Security, precipitating a leadership shakeup for the force.
The dismissal of Fagan, 61, was part of a flurry of leadership personnel moves by the new administration just hours after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Overnight, Trump also announced on social media he was dismissing several individuals appointed to federal panels, including removing former Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council.
Trump promised “many more” firings in the near future.
In a message to the Coast Guard workforce Monday night, acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman — who was appointed to the temporary post about five hours after Trump took office — said he relieved Fagan from the top Coast Guard post and appointed Adm. Kevin Lunday to serve as acting commandant. No reason was given for the move.
Fagan had served in the leadership role since June 2022 and was the first uniformed woman to lead a military branch.
Officials told Fox News that Fagan was terminated because of a failure to address border security threats and excessive focus on diversity programs. They also cited a poor response to reports of sexual assault cases at the Coast Guard Academy.
Trump and several of his Cabinet nominees have vowed to refocus the U.S. military on readiness and lethality in their operations, and to do away with diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Shortly after his swearing in, Trump signed an executive order banning those practices within federal agencies.
Numerous Democrats reacted with outrage on Tuesday following news of the dismissal.
“Firing a commandant at will by a new president sets a bad precedent,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. “The complexity of the Coast Guard’s diverse missions require continuity to protect lives and American interests.”
The Coast Guard, which has about 45,000 personnel, is a branch of the armed forces but sits within the Department of Homeland Security, rather than the Defense Department. As such, certain rules and policy changes that cover the other services do not cover the Coast Guard, and vice versa.
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