Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the firing of the nation’s senior military officer and others at the Pentagon weren’t unusual despite accusations that the administration is injecting politics into the military.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (right) is defending President Donald Trump's decision to fire Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The two are shown after arriving at the Pentagon, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insists President Donald Trump ’s abrupt firing of the nation’s senior military officer amid a wave of dismissals at the Pentagon wasn't unusual, brushing aside outcry that the new administration is openly seeking to inject politics into the military.