First Female Coast Guard Chief Ousted

The nation's first woman to lead a branch of the US military has been fired by President Trump. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Lee Fagan has been relieved of her duties after a "long and illustrious career," the acting Homeland Security secretary said on the Coast Guard website, per Reuters. Sources say Trump made the move because of what he saw as Fagan's "excessive" focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which he has promised to do away with in federal agencies. The Coast Guard falls under Homeland Security's jurisdiction, not the Pentagon, and Trump worked quickly to "remake" the Homeland Security department upon taking office, the AP reports.

He also fired the head of the Transportation Security Administration, David Pekoske, despite the fact that Trump himself appointed Pekoske during his first presidential term. While no reason was given for Pekoske's termination, an unrelated memo referenced his opposition to the so-called "Remain in Mexico" policy during the period that he was acting as DHS secretary while Biden appointee Alejandro Mayorkas awaited Senate confirmation. Neither Fagan nor Pekoske was at the end of their term. Trump also removed all the members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, and the panel's future remains unclear. A former member says the move puts the nation's aviation security at risk. (More President Trump stories.)