Linda Fagan, the first woman to lead a branch of the US Armed Forces, was among those removed by Trump on his first day.The head of the United States Coast Guard has been removed from her position, as newly inaugurated President Donald Trump follows through with his pledges to fire top officials.
On Tuesday, US media published reports that four-star Admiral Linda Fagan had been ousted, less than 24 hours after Trump had taken office.
She was part of a wave of dismissals as Trump sought to swiftly reshape the executive branch, brandishing the catchphrase carried over from his time as a reality TV star: “You’re fired.”
Fox News was the first to report Fagan’s removal. In 2022, Fagan became the first uniformed woman to lead a branch of the US Armed Forces.
According to a statement sent to Coast Guard units and obtained by The New York Times, the incoming administration found Fagan unfit for several reasons.
“She was terminated because of leadership deficiencies, operational failures and inability to advance the strategic objectives of the U.S. Coast Guard,” the statement said.
It also alleged that Fagan had pursued an “excessive focus” on diversity, equity and inclusion policies, known by the acronym DEI. Advertisement
Trump has pledged to dismantle DEI programmes within the federal government, calling them “illegal and immoral”.
On Monday night, shortly after he was sworn in, Trump issued an executive action to that effect, calling on federal agencies to “terminate” DEI initiatives.
“The public release of these plans demonstrated immense public waste and shameful …
