Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has relieved four-star Gen. Chris Donahue of his duties as top U.S. Army commander in Europe. The timing has drawn scrutiny from Pentagon insiders.
According to Rolling Stone, Donahue's firing is the latest in a series of removals under Hegseth. Pentagon watchers and sources believe the reason relates to Afghanistan rather than performance.
Donahue was the commanding officer who orchestrated the final American withdrawal from Kabul in August 2022 as the Taliban swept back into power. An iconic photograph shows him boarding a C-17 as the last U.S. soldier leaving the country.
Hegseth, who spent his Fox News tenure criticizing Biden and military leadership over the withdrawal, launched a new investigation in May 2025 calling the entire operation "disastrous and embarrassing." That investigation is ongoing. Washington observers say Donahue was removed simply for being the officer in charge.
This is not Hegseth's first clash with Donahue. When the general was previously nominated for the European command post, former Sen. Markwayne Mullin — now Homeland Security Secretary — placed a senatorial hold on the appointment.
Donahue's 29-year career includes surviving the 9/11 attack at the Pentagon, 17 deployments across Iraq, Afghanistan, North Africa, and Syria, and two decades in counterterrorism. Hegseth's stated commitment to putting soldiers over generals appears inconsistent with removing the officer who led the withdrawal of American forces.
