Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Biden's defense secretary is booting all of the Pentagon's advisory board members for a fresh start after Trump's 'frenetic' post-election changes

Biden's defense secretary is booting all of the Pentagon's advisory board members for a fresh start after Trump's 'frenetic' post-election changes

The Trump administration installed loyalists like the president's former campaign manager on Pentagon advisory boards. That is now being undone.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called for an "immediate suspension" of the department's advisory committee operations as it conducts a top-down review and ordered the removal of all advisory board members by mid-February, an internal memo said.

Austin, who was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the US Senate in late January, said that the Defense Department's review was being conducted to "align with our most pressing strategic priorities and the National Defense Strategy."

"Advisory committees have and will continue to provide an important role in shaping public policy within [the Department of Defense]," Austin said in his memo to the department. "That said, our stewardship responsibilities require that we continually assess to ensure each advisory committee provides appropriate value today and in the future, as times and requirements change."

In the memo, Austin says that "conclusion of service" for all advisory board members will take place no later than Feb. 16.


News of the changes to the department's advisory committees was first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday afternoon. The latest news follows a report last week from Politico that the Pentagon had halted all appointments to the boards.

The various Pentagon advisory boards are comprised of civilians appointed by a defense secretary to provide bipartisan counsel on matters that range from business to military policy.

The intended nonpartisan goals of the committees were heavily scrutinized after acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller — who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump after he fired his defense secretary following the November election — purged the boards and installed a number of loyalists in the final weeks of the administration.

After Miller abruptly emptied out most of the Defense Policy Board, he cleared out much of the Defense Business Board. Changes to other boards then followed. He then selected loyalists like Trump's 2016 presidential campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and deputy campaign manager David Bossie to fill the vacancies.

Some of the loyal individuals the administration sought to install on the boards included people who have been surrounded by controversy.

Scott O'Grady, a retired US Air Force F-16 pilot, was appointed to the Defense Policy Board in December. The war hero promoted several conspiracy theories in support of Trump's baseless claims that the presidential election was stolen.

O'Grady recently shared a tweet saying that " suggesting that martial law is not a bad idea when there is an attempted coup against the president," according to CNN, which also reported that O'Grady shared other debunked theories about the election, insulted former military officials, and retweeted at least one pro-QAnon hashtag.

Ret. US Army Gen. Anthony Tata, who was also appointed as an advisor, previously drew criticism for his characterization of former President Barack Obama as a "terrorist leader" with "Islamic roots."

As the Trump administration quickly moved to overhaul the advisory boards, an advisor on the Defense Business Board who survived the purge resigned in protest. In his resignation letter, Steve Blank wrote that by purging advisory boards and filling them with Trump allies, the Trump administration had "put the nation's safety and security at risk."

Speaking to the press Tuesday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the "frenetic activity" at the end of the Trump administration "deeply concerned" Austin and was a driving factor in his decision to clean out the boards and start over.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×