Trump's top Army officer, General Chris Donahue, has abruptly resigned amid Pete Hegseth's overhaul of the Pentagon's senior ranks.
Trump's top Army general has reportedly resigned after Pete Hegseth's push to demote his command (Image: Getty Images)
President Donald Trump's top Army general has abruptly resigned from his role at a time when Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is aiming to demote his command and purge the Pentagon's senior ranks.
General Chris Donahue, 56, is reportedly stepping down from his role as head of U.S. Army operations in Europe and Africa, and it's expected that his retirement will be announced as soon as Wednesday, a U.S. official told ABC News.
Donahue has only been in his role for 18 months, and he is one of the Army's most distinguished and experienced officers. He commanded the Army's Delta Force and has two decades of combat experience. He has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. It comes after Trump reportedly tried to access the US nuclear launch codes — until one man stopped him.
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Donahue was the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, and he was the last American soldier to leave the country. This historic moment was documented in a night-vision image of Donahue boarding a C-17.
Donahue's leadership was so monumental that the image of him boarding the military aircraft to leave Afghanistan has its own page on the Department of War's website, and he is named "Last Soldier to Board" on the page dedicated to his distinguished service.
According to the website, "his departure closed the U.S. mission to evacuate American citizens, Afghan special immigrant visa applicants and vulnerable Afghans."
General Chris Donahue is expected to step down from his role at the Pentagon (Image: U.S. Central Command via Getty I)
Despite Donahue's service as a decorated officer, who was even considered a top candidate for Army chief of staff or even chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he is the latest high-profile officer to exit amid Hegseth's Pentagon overhaul.
Hegseth has been making sweeping changes to the Pentagon’s senior ranks, firing or sidelining top officers. Donahue's reported retirement from the Pentagon comes after the Army’s top officer, General Randy George, was reportedly asked to retire immediately, per the request of Hegseth in April 2026, as reported by The Guardian.
A U.S. official told ABC News that Donahue is expected to relinquish his command at a change of command ceremony next week. The Atlantic first reported his expected departure. The Pentagon hasn't formally announced Donahue's retirement yet.
Another U.S. official told the outlet that Hegseth was planning to downgrade Donahue's post from a four-star command to a three-star post, reducing his authority.
The move to downgrade Donahue's post from a four-star to a three-star post would strip him of the military's highest rank. Four-star officers are only eligible to hold a position of that rank, so when there's no position that matches the rank, early retirement is often the only option.
Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral, who is the current commander of the Army’s III Armored Corps, is expected to be nominated to take over Donahue's role.
Hegseth has been reshaping the military amid Trump's nearly four-month-long conflict in Iran. The U.S. and Iran have reached an initial peace deal to end the war, with the parties now negotiating the terms.
In May 2025, Hegseth announced his "Less Generals More GIs Policy" on X. In the video, he said, “More generals and admirals does not equal more success. Now this is not a slash and burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers."
He continued, saying, “This has been a deliberative process, working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff with one goal, maximizing strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions in the general and flag officer ranks.”
He explained the two phases of the deduction, which included a minimum 20% reduction for four-star and flag officers in active duty elements, and a minimum 20% reduction of general and flag officers in the National Guard Bureau. He added that the second phase would include a minimum additional 10% reduction in the overall number of general and flag officers in the Department of Defense.
Since Hegseth took office, more than a dozen generals and admirals have left their roles, including Joint Chiefs Chairman General C.Q. Brown and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti.