Trump puts more Cabinet members on chopping block as Pete Hegseth axes two additional Army officers

Trump puts more Cabinet members on chopping block as Pete Hegseth axes two additional Army officers
By: dailymail Posted On: April 03, 2026 View: 45

Donald Trump was considering firing additional members of his Cabinet on Thursday night, following the ouster of Attorney General Pam Bondi, a report has said.

His restlessness comes amid a growing chorus of criticism at home and abroad for his handling of the Iran war, which continues to rile global markets with no definitive end in sight.

The President has been unhappy with the work of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, according to Politico.

'He’s very angry and he’s going to be moving people,' an administration official told the outlet.

Meanwhile, The Atlantic reported that FBI Director Kash Patel and Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll could also be on their way out.

It comes after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth fired the senior-most uniformed officer in the Army, General Randy George yesterday, continuing his purge of the Army on Thursday night.

The Pentagon confirmed to the Daily Mail that two more high-level members of the Army had been fired: General David Hodne, head of the Army Transformation and Training Command; and Major General William Green Jr, the head of the Army's chaplain corps.

Sources clarified to Politico that none of the cabinet members' statuses have been decided but Lutnick was said to be on 'thin ice' and his firing would send a message to Americans that Trump was working to fix the economy. 

However, another source fiercely refuted that Lutnick was in trouble, saying they 'haven’t heard anyone suggest there’s been any change at Commerce. Everyone is thrilled with the job Howard has done.' 

Trump was believed to be targeting Cabinet members who have 'underperformed or who have generated too much negative attention.' 

Donald Trump is 'very angry and he’s going to be moving people,' according to an administration official
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick may be on thin ice
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the Secretary for Labor, is another who might be drawing the President's ire

The President is facing the prospect that Democrats could be in power of Congress next year, which would make it much harder to for him to appoint replacements. 

The White House praised Patel, Chavez-DeRemer and Driscoll when reached by the Daily Mail for comment.

A spokesman said: 'President Trump has the most talented cabinet and team in American history.

'Patriots like Kash Patel, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Dan Driscoll are tirelessly implementing the President's agenda and achieving tremendous results for the American people.'

The White House added that Chavez-DeRemer and Lutnick are 'both doing a great job standing up for American workers, and they continue to have President Trump’s full support.'

Trump has also reportedly asked allies about whether to replace Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, after her underling Joe Kent sensationally resigned last month.  

But the White House pushed back strongly against the idea that the President was ready to oust a third woman from his cabinet.

'President Trump has total confidence in Director Gabbard, and any insinuation otherwise is totally fake news,' White House spokesman Steven Cheung told the Daily Mail.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the FBI, the Department of Labor, the Department of Commerce and the Army for additional comment. 

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FBI Director Kash Patel could also be on his way out
The White House praised Patel and Dan Driscoll when reached by the Daily Mail for comment
Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to continue his own purge after General Randy George was let go

The Washington Post reported that Hegseth and Army Secretary Driscoll have been been at odds and Hegseth will 'make his life hell' since he can't fire him.

Ousted General Hodne ran a department started by Biden-appointed General George, who was told to step down and take immediate retirement, CBS News reported.

Pentagon official said: 'We are grateful for his service, but it was time for a leadership change in the Army.'

George is understood to have clashed with the Trump Administration's vision for the Army.

Vice Chief of Staff General Christopher LaNeve, a former aide to Hegseth, will be the Army's acting chief of staff. 

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell described LaNeve as 'a battle-tested leader with decades of operational experience and is completely trusted by Secretary Hegseth to carry out the vision of this administration without fault.'

Hegseth's decision comes as 50,000 US troops are deployed in the Middle East ahead of a possible ground invasion in Iran.

George was the senior-most uniformed officer in the Army - a four-star general and the 41st Chief of Staff responsible for organizing, training and equipping more than one million soldiers, though not a field commander directing tactical strikes.

George reported to General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Army Secretary Driscoll, the civilian head of the branch; and Hegseth, whose highest military rank was as an Army major.

Ousted General David Hodne ran a department started by Biden-appointed General George
Major General William Green Jr was one of three high-level members of the Army that were fired
Hegseth fired George, who was appointed by Biden and understood to have clashed with the Trump Administration's vision for the Army, earlier Thursday

George was confirmed by the Senate in 2023, meaning he is significantly short of completing the typical four-year term.

Hegseth has purged more than a dozen senior officers, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General CQ Brown, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff General James Slife and the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse.

Bondi said after her firing that she would be working to transition the attorney general office over the next month to help her deputy, Todd Blanche, before moving to an unspecified job in the private sector. 

She wrote on X: 'Leading President Trump’s historic and highly successful efforts to make America safer and more secure has been the honor of a lifetime, and easily the most consequential first year of the Department of Justice in American history.

'Since February 2025, we have secured the lowest murder rate in 125 years, secured first-ever terrorism convictions against members of Antifa, shattered domestic and transnational gangs across the country, taken custody of more than 90 key cartel figures, and won 24 favorable rulings at the Supreme Court.'

Bondi said she will 'remain eternally grateful' to Trump despite being the second Cabinet official fired by the President in the last month. 

Before becoming attorney general, Bondi was a lobbyist for Ballard Partners for six years, where she was a partner in the company's DC office. At the time, she also chaired their corporate regulatory compliance.

Her tenure at the Justice Department was marred by months of MAGA fury over her botched handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve as acting attorney general until a permanent nominee is picked.

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