President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has fired the head of the U.S. Coast Guard, Adm. Linda Lee Fagan, according to reports.
Fox News reports that a senior DHS official confirmed Fagan was terminated on Tuesday morning for an “erosion of trust” over her failings at the U.S. border and a push to prioritize far-left “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) policies.
Fagan was terminated as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard by Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman.
According to the report, Fagan’s removal comes amid concerns that her agenda does not align with the Trump administration on border security, recruitment, resource management, and transparency.
Her was marred by accusations of failing to effectively deploy Coast Guard assets to intercept illicit substances like fentanyl.
Under Fagan, the Coast Guard failed to provide sufficient coordination with DHS on maritime border security operations.
Recruitment and retention under her leadership also suffered, with the Coast Guard struggling to fill critical roles.
The DHS official said Fagan had significant failures in recruiting personnel.
These failures worsened issues related to operational readiness.
The official added that the lack of innovative strategies to address retention struggles in critical specialties weakened workforce sustainability.
Persistent delays and cost overruns in acquiring essential platforms, such as icebreakers and helicopters, undermined the Coast Guard’s strategic capabilities, particularly in the Arctic region.
Fagan is also accused of excessively prioritizing DEI initiatives over operational needs.
Her far-left priorities resulted in resources being diverted from core missions.
According to Fox News, a key issue in Fagan’s removal was the handling of Operation Fouled Anchor.
The operation was an internal investigation into sexual assault cases at the Coast Guard Academy.
The investigation, conducted from 2014 to 2019, was not disclosed until 2023.
Fagan faced criticism for failing to hold individuals accountable for the cover-up.
The cover-up “deeply eroded trust” in the Coast Guard among the American public, the U.S. Congress, and the military, the official noted.
Fagan was grilled over the failures by senators over the summer when she testified at a hearing on Capitol Hill.
She was questioned for not holding anyone accountable for the cover-up and withholding additional documents congressional lawmakers requested about the mishandling of the problem at the service’s academy.
The official told Fox that the failure to sufficiently address the systemic issues revealed by the investigation has highlighted a “leadership culture” unwilling to ensure accountability and transparency in protecting service members.
Fagan, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden on June 1, 2022, made history as the first woman to lead the Coast Guard or any branch of the U.S. military.
Unfortunately for Fagan, DEI hires do not align with President Trump’s vision for America.
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