Trump defence chief says US slashed number of generals and admirals by 20%

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that the United States has slashed the number of its generals and admirals by 20 per cent, in a move he said is aimed at “accountability”.

Hegseth suggested the cuts targeted officers who failed to get on board with his efforts to ensure the military is focused on war-fighting rather than the “woke” policies of previous administrations, describing the reductions as an “accomplishment.”

“The number-crunchers say we fired 10 per cent of the generals and admirals across the force,” Hegseth told troops at the Quantico military base, saying: “We’ve also reduced the overall number of general officer slots by an additional 10 percent.”