Hegseth ‘looks forward to working with’ Gen. CQ Brown despite recent scathing criticism

Simply months after calling for his ouster, incoming Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth was greeted on the Pentagon on Monday by Gen. CQ Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers.

Brown saluted Hegseth as his motorcade arrived, then shook his hand as the 2 exchanged pleasantries. With Brown by his aspect, Hegseth approached a line of ready reporters and took a number of questions, together with one on whether or not he intends to fireside the final.

“I am standing with him proper now,” Hegseth stated, patting Brown, solely the second Black officer after Colin Powell to serve within the job, on the shoulder. “I look ahead to working with him.”

Hegseth’s previous feedback on Brown weren’t so sanguine.

“Initially, you have to hearth the chairman of the Joint Chiefs,” Hegseth stated in a November look on the “Shawn Ryan Present,” days earlier than President Donald Trump nominated him to steer the Protection Division.

He continued, “However any common that was concerned — common, admiral, no matter — that was concerned in any of the DEI woke s— has received to go. Both you are in for warfighting, and that is it. That is the one litmus take a look at we care about.”

Hegseth additionally lambasted Brown a number of occasions in his guide, “The Warfare on Warriors.”

“The navy requirements, as soon as the hallmark for competency, professionalism, and ‘mission first’ outcomes, have formally been subsumed by woke priorities,” he wrote. “You suppose CQ Brown will suppose intuitively about exterior threats and inner readiness? No probability. He constructed his generalship dutifully pursuing the novel positions of left-wing politicians, who in flip rewarded him with promotions.”

Brown has been vocal about what he sees because the significance of race-based range within the navy. In 2022, whereas chief of employees of the Air Drive, Brown signed a memo calling for the service to work towards reducing the share of white officer candidates whereas elevating these of different races.

“These targets are aspirational, aligning sources to put money into our long-term goals and won’t be utilized in any method that undermines our merit-based processes,” the memo stated.

In his new position, Hegseth may advocate eradicating Brown and different navy leaders, and Trump would have the authority to take action.

Each Hegseth and Trump have sharply criticized navy leaders concerned within the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in addition to these allegedly pushing “woke” ideology. Whereas there may very well be authorized challenges in making an attempt to outright kick generals or admirals out of the navy ought to they refuse a request to resign, the commander in chief has the authority to take away senior officers from their present positions and reassign them, successfully ending their careers.

Brown drew reward for a June 2020 video titled “Here is what I am eager about” that he launched in response to the nationwide protests and unrest sparked by Floyd’s homicide by a Minneapolis police officer.

Within the extremely private video, Brown recounted his personal experiences with racism and his perspective as a Black man and Black navy chief.

There have been some constructive indicators for Brown even earlier than Monday’s well mannered greeting, when he had an amiable encounter with Trump ultimately month’s Army-Navy soccer sport.

Through the second quarter, Trump and Brown talked for roughly 20 minutes about soccer in addition to the scenario within the Center East and Ukraine, a U.S. official instructed ABC Information. Brown additionally had a fast introduction and handshake with Hegseth on the sport.