General Donahue, Tapped to Lead the Army, Retires as a Victim of Hegseth-Style Purges

The U.S. general known as “the last American soldier in Afghanistan” has left the military after losing the confidence of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, retired on the 27th of last month despite efforts by senior figures to save his career.

The New York Times reported that Donahue had risen through the elite Delta Force and completed more than 20 overseas deployments. He had been described as a soldier representing an entire generation. After observing the growing role of drones on the Ukrainian battlefield, he proposed reorganizing the Army around artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Army leaders had already identified him as a leading candidate to oversee the service as its next chief of staff.

But Donahue’s role in the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan became a liability under President Donald Trump. During his 2024 campaign, Trump criticized the Abbey Gate attack, in which an Islamic State suicide bombing killed 13 U.S. service members, and questioned why generals linked to the episode had not been dismissed. Hegseth also viewed a photograph of Donahue boarding the final transport aircraft out of Afghanistan as a selfie and suspected him of seeking publicity. Donahue later told people around him that he had learned about the photo’s distribution only afterward.

When Hegseth took office last January, he refused to nominate Donahue to lead the European Command despite a strong recommendation from Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine. Former chief of staff Joe Kasper said Donahue had not been involved in distributing the photograph and that the Marine Corps, not Donahue’s airborne unit, had been responsible for the area of the suicide bombing. The explanation did not change the decision.

Donahue’s support within the Army then weakened. Chief of Staff Randy George, who backed his modernization plan, was dismissed in April, and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned this month. Donahue also helped provide Ukraine expertise and personnel as the Iran war began, but Hegseth remained unmoved. Republican senators Tim Sheehy and Joni Ernst tried to intervene, but Hegseth reportedly objected that Donahue’s influence and network were too strong. Donahue declined a proposal to lead Army Futures Command, asking whether Hegseth would want to work with him, and decided to retire. The article presents his departure as part of a broader MAGA-style purge targeting officers suspected of links to the previous administration or progressive ideas.

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Would Hegseth want to work with me?