US generals and admirals cut by 20%, Hegseth says

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday the United States has cut the number of generals and admirals in the military by 20 percent, describing the reductions as an effort to impose accountability.

Speaking to troops at the Quantico military base, Hegseth said 10 percent of generals and admirals had been fired and that the overall number of general officer slots had been reduced by another 10 percent. “So yes, 20 percent reduction across the board,” he said.

Hegseth suggested the cuts targeted officers who did not support his efforts to focus the military on war-fighting rather than what he called the “woke” policies of previous administrations. He said officers who responded positively to a similar speech last year were leading newly focused formations, while those who did not “no longer work here.”

Whether the full 20 percent reduction has been completed is unclear. Hegseth ordered major cuts in May 2025, including a 10 percent reduction in the overall number of generals and admirals and a 20 percent decrease in the highest four-star ranks. There were 831 active-duty US generals and admirals at the end of that month, but Pentagon figures from the end of July 2026 showed 851. Asked whether the cuts were completed or still ongoing, the Pentagon said it had nothing to add beyond Hegseth's comments.

Hegseth argued during his January 2025 confirmation hearing that the Pentagon bureaucracy was top-heavy and needed cuts. Since President Donald Trump returned to office, several senior military leaders have been removed or have left early, including Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Charles “CQ” Brown, whom Trump fired without explanation in February 2025.

Hegseth has said the president is choosing the leaders he wants. Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about possible politicization of the traditionally neutral US military.