Last Tuesday, January 21, President Donald Trump terminated U.S Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Lee Fagan. She was the first female leader to head a branch of the military.
The Coast Guard appointment is a four-year term, but Fagan had only served two. She was nominated by former President Joe Biden to lead the Coast Guard in 2021 and assumed duties in 2022.
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamin Huffman released the news of Fagan’s termination on the Coast Guard’s website, but a reason was not included.
Fagan was terminated due to “leadership deficiencies, operational failures, and inability to advance the strategic objectives of the U.S Coast Guard,” according to an interview with a senior Department of Homeland Security official by CNN.
The same official also cited reasons such as, “ineffective” deployment of the Coast Guard to assist with border security, dissatisfaction with recruitment and retention, efforts surrounding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies and delays and cost overruns on icebreakers and helicopters used in the Arctic region.”
Trump’s advisor Elon Musk tweeted that “Undermining the US military and border security to spend money on racist/sexist DEI nonsense is no longer acceptable.”
Undermining the US military and border security to spend money on racist/sexist DEI nonsense is no longer acceptable https://t.co/IPoDv5odP8
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2025
Fagan was scrutinized for a “cover-up” of Operation Fouled Anchor in 2023, an internal Coast Guard investigation that proved various rapes and assault allegations from the late 1980s to 2006 in the agency.
Since the public was made aware of Fouled Anchor, Fagan has worked to rebuild trust with the public and Congress. She has previously taken steps to remove a commanding officer who was substantiated in the investigation, testified twice and apologized for inaction and lack of transparency.
Sexual assault is more prevalent in the military than in the rest of the country; survey results show that around 4.3% of women and 0.7% of men experience assault within one year. Under Fagan, the Coast Guard launched a new Safe to Report policy to eliminate barriers to reporting sexual assault.
During her tenure, the U.S Coast Guard exceeded its recruitment goals for the first time since 2017.
A campaign promise of Donald Trump was to get rid of generals who he and his Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth deem as too “woke.” However, Fagan’s termination was met with backlash throughout the Capitol.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) tweeted that Fagan “rightfully stood up for victims of sexual assault and bolstered recruitment.”
Admiral Linda Fagan was the first woman leader of a U.S. Military branch—she rightfully stood up for victims of sexual assault & bolstered recruitment for the Coast Guard.
Trump is firing her for no real reason as far as I can tell. It’s an outrage and it’s bad for our military. https://t.co/38SKplcQkG
— Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) January 22, 2025
Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) released a statement condemning Trump’s decision, calling it, “an abuse of power that slanders the good name and record of Admiral Fagan.”
Admiral Kevin E. Lunday is now the Acting Commandment of the Coast Guard.