Ex-Fighter Pilot Amy McGrath Warns Against Trump’s ‘Purity Test’ for Military Leadership Under Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary
Army Gen. Mark A. Milley testifies before the House Appropriations Committee-Defense on the Fiscal 2022 Department of Defense Budget in the Pentagon Press Briefing Room, Washington, D.C., May 27, 2021. Defense Department Photo
Retired fighter pilot Amy McGrath voiced strong concerns about President-elect Donald Trump’s choice of Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense, joining a growing list of former military personnel critical of the appointment. In a discussion with MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, McGrath expressed fear not only about Hegseth’s role but also about a potential campaign targeting those within the military who dissent from Trump’s policies.
Wallace prompted the panel to consider how military personnel might react if former generals were to face court-martials as part of Trump’s efforts to enact “revenge” on those he perceives as disloyal. McGrath, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate in 2020 against Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), warned that such actions would “rip apart the fabric of our military.”
“Now you’re looking at anybody who has dissent; you’re going to prosecute them?” she questioned. “You’re going to take people who have served their entire life in an apolitical way, wearing the uniform, swearing an oath to the Constitution… and then when they don’t go along with what Donald Trump says or wants, you’re going to prosecute them?”
McGrath further likened the approach to a “purity test for high-ranking officers,” suggesting that loyalty to Trump rather than the Constitution could become the primary criterion for leadership roles. Such a shift, she argued, would severely damage trust within the ranks. “That’s going to make everybody up and down the chain of command question whether the people in charge of them are loyal to the Constitution and their oath, or if they’re just loyal to Donald Trump,” McGrath said. “This is a real problem.”
Her concerns are echoed by other former military officials wary of Hegseth, a Fox News weekend host with close ties to Trump but limited experience in high-level defense operations. Critics fear that Hegseth may support policies that prioritize political loyalty over traditional military values and principles. They argue that such an approach could undermine the nonpartisan nature of the military, which relies on an apolitical commitment to serving the nation rather than any individual leader.
As Trump’s administration takes shape, concerns about politicizing the military have intensified, with McGrath and others warning that altering the chain of command to enforce loyalty tests risks eroding the foundational principles of American military service. Her words highlight the tension between Trump’s vision for his cabinet and the values held by many in the armed forces who prioritize constitutional loyalty over political allegiance.
