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Three-star general pushed out amid tensions with Hegseth
Three-star general pushed out amid tensions with Hegseth
A three-star general serving on the Pentagon’s Joint Staff has been pushed out of his position following months of sustained tensions with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, according to people familiar with the matter. The general’s stalled promotion also contributed to his early retirement, the sources said.
Lt. Gen. Joe McGee, the director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy on the Joint Staff, left his position earlier this month, the sources said. They added that McGee had frequently “pushed back” against Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine on issues ranging from Russia and Ukraine to military operations in the Caribbean. The sources noted that McGee was nominated by former President Joe Biden nearly a year ago for a promotion to serve as director of the Joint Staff but was never renominated by the current administration.
“He has had a target on his back for a while now,” one of the sources said of McGee. Two other sources said there were discussions internally as far back as the spring about pushing out McGee.
Snip
At the same time, some in the Office of the Secretary of Defense saw McGee as too close to the “old guard” of the Pentagon, particularly former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley and former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, one of the sources said.
Snip
A three-star general serving on the Pentagon’s Joint Staff has been pushed out of his position following months of sustained tensions with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, according to people familiar with the matter. The general’s stalled promotion also contributed to his early retirement, the sources said.
Lt. Gen. Joe McGee, the director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy on the Joint Staff, left his position earlier this month, the sources said. They added that McGee had frequently “pushed back” against Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine on issues ranging from Russia and Ukraine to military operations in the Caribbean. The sources noted that McGee was nominated by former President Joe Biden nearly a year ago for a promotion to serve as director of the Joint Staff but was never renominated by the current administration.
“He has had a target on his back for a while now,” one of the sources said of McGee. Two other sources said there were discussions internally as far back as the spring about pushing out McGee.
Snip
At the same time, some in the Office of the Secretary of Defense saw McGee as too close to the “old guard” of the Pentagon, particularly former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley and former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, one of the sources said.
Snip
More:: https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/29/politics/three-star-pushed-out-by-hegseth-caine-over-tensions
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