Cable News Clips

IronLionZion

(50,427 posts) Fri Oct 17, 2025, 03:28 PM Oct 17

CNN 'Very strange': Former NATO commander reacts to sudden retirement of US Navy Admiral

Decorated Navy Admiral forced to retire early due to disagreements with the administration.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Holsey

Things have changed a lot in this country since last year:

8 replies

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Highlight:

CNN 'Very strange': Former NATO commander reacts to sudden retirement of US Navy Admiral (Original Post) IronLionZion Oct 17 OP

Eventually all the experienced and qualified brass will be gone. How do you defend a country with a majority of Dave Bowman Oct 17 #1

That could be their goal IronLionZion Oct 17 #4

As Admiral Stavridis (Ret.) mentioned, prior attempts to meddle in Central/South American affairs erronis Oct 17 #2

HEGSETH Jimvanhise Oct 17 #3

MAWA BattleRow Oct 17 #7

MaddowBlog-Key U.S. admiral parts ways with Hegseth's Pentagon amid controversial boat strikes LetMyPeopleVote Oct 17 #5

He probably never thought he'd be in charge of bombing civilian vessels. viva la Oct 17 #6

I just asked Grok if most of the high ranking military officials who have resigned or been fired since January are ShazamIam Oct 17 #8

Dave Bowman

(6,304 posts)

1. Eventually all the experienced and qualified brass will be gone. How do you defend a country with a majority of

Reply to IronLionZion (Original post)

Fri Oct 17, 2025, 03:40 PM

Oct 17

incompetent fools taking decisions at the top?

IronLionZion

(50,427 posts)

4. That could be their goal

Reply to Dave Bowman (Reply #1)

Fri Oct 17, 2025, 03:57 PM

Oct 17

erronis

(22,051 posts)

2. As Admiral Stavridis (Ret.) mentioned, prior attempts to meddle in Central/South American affairs

Reply to IronLionZion (Original post)

Fri Oct 17, 2025, 03:51 PM

Oct 17

have not gone very well.

And now we are also meddling with Brazil and Argentina. I think trump has outgrown his diapers.

Jimvanhise

(546 posts)

3. HEGSETH

Reply to IronLionZion (Original post)

Fri Oct 17, 2025, 03:56 PM

Oct 17

He keeps proclaiming "diversity is not our strength" and he does it to a room full of people which includes blacks and women. It's like he wants them to leave. Their make America white again agenda is on full display.

BattleRow

(2,043 posts)

7. MAWA

Reply to Jimvanhise (Reply #3)

Fri Oct 17, 2025, 04:33 PM

Oct 17

LetMyPeopleVote

(173,038 posts)

5. MaddowBlog-Key U.S. admiral parts ways with Hegseth's Pentagon amid controversial boat strikes

Reply to IronLionZion (Original post)

Fri Oct 17, 2025, 03:58 PM

Oct 17

As the head of U.S. Southern Command steps down at a critical moment, a key senator is raising alarm about “instability within the chain of command.”

As the head of SouthCom steps down at critically important time, donâ€™t miss the scope of the broader military purge under Trump/Hegseth.

Dem Sen. Jack Reed was right to raise alarm about â€œinstability within the chain of command.â€ www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-10-17T12:59:30.175Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/key-us-admiral-parts-ways-hegseths-pentagon-controversial-boat-strikes-rcna238150

Indeed, just in recent days, the White House has authorized new intelligence operations in Venezuela and reportedly flown an elite Special Operations aviation unit near the Venezuelan coast. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that Venezuela is “moving troops into position on the Caribbean coast and mobilizing what President Nicolás Maduro asserts is a millions-strong militia in a display of defiance against the biggest American military buildup in the Caribbean since the 1980s.”

The head of Southern Command, in other words, has a critically important job right now. So it’s significant that the Navy admiral in this leadership post announced that he’s stepping down. The New York Times reported:

The officer, Adm. Alvin Holsey, is leaving his job as head of the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees all operations in Central and South America. ... It was unclear why Admiral Holsey is suddenly departing, less than a year into what is typically a three-year job, and in the midst of the biggest operation in his 37-year career.

Naturally, there’s been a great deal of speculation about what may have prompted the admiral to quit, though the mystery appears to have an answer. The Times referenced two sources who said Holsey “had raised concerns about the mission and the attacks on the alleged drug boats.” CNN ran a related report, noting that the SouthCom chief had privately expressed reservations about the legality of the Trump-approved strikes......

The broader purge also includes Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, who was both the head of U.S. Cyber Command and the director of the National Security Agency; Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gen. James Slife, former vice chief of staff of the Air Force; Adm. Linda Fagan, the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard; Adm. Lisa Franchetti; Lt. Gen. Jennifer Short; Lt. Gen. Joseph B. Berger III, the Army’s top military lawyer; Lt. Gen. Charles Plummer, the Air Force’s top military lawyer; and Navy Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, the only woman on NATO’s military committee.

Each of these instances is important in its own right, but let’s not miss the forest for the trees: A scandal-plagued former Fox News host appears to be destabilizing the U.S. military.

Toward the end of his unsettling speech to the nation’s generals and admirals a few weeks ago, in which his argument boiled down to the assertion that testosterone is the key to modern warfare, Hegseth delivered an unsubtle message to his audience. “If the words I’m speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign,” the secretary said.

Those words continue to resonate for a reason.

viva la

(4,422 posts)

6. He probably never thought he'd be in charge of bombing civilian vessels.

Reply to IronLionZion (Original post)

Fri Oct 17, 2025, 04:05 PM

Oct 17

I'm glad he eventually decided to stop.

ShazamIam

(2,987 posts)

8. I just asked Grok if most of the high ranking military officials who have resigned or been fired since January are

Reply to IronLionZion (Original post)

Fri Oct 17, 2025, 05:16 PM

Oct 17

Last edited Fri Oct 17, 2025, 07:08 PM - Edit history (1)

are Black or women.

Edit to correct correct from January Black to,: since January are Black and/or women

The answer was. Yes.

Here is the answer:
"Yes
Yes, most of the high-ranking military officers who have quit or been fired are Black. Recent reports indicate that several Black officers, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the chief of naval operations, have been removed from their positions, reflecting a trend in military leadership changes. Additionally, the firings have raised concerns among lawmakers and defense officials regarding the implications of these changes on military diversity and leadership.
Military.com"

I should have asked, Black and or women so I did. Here is the answer to that version of the question:

"In recent military leadership changes, most high-ranking Black officers have been fired or removed, particularly during the Trump administration. Notably, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy's first female chief, was fired, and Gen. CQ Brown Jr., a Black officer, was also dismissed. Additionally, Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, a Black woman, resigned after being replaced by a white officer. These firings have raised concerns among military leaders and veterans regarding the impact of political factors on military promotions and support for minority officers.
Military.com"

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