Trump Fires Milley, Andrés From Council Positions In Overnight Social Media Posts

President Donald Trump early Tuesday morning announced plans to fire more than a thousand presidential appointees “who are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again.”

Just hours into his second day in office, he kicked that process off by dismissing former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council and celebrity chef José Andrés from the President’s Council on Sports. Trump also dismissed former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms from the President’s Export Council and Brian Hook, who served as special envoy for Iran in the previous Trump administration from 2018 to 2020, from the Wilson Center for Scholars.

“Let this serve as Official Notice of Dismissal for these 4 individuals, with many more, coming soon,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “YOU’RE FIRED!”

Milley, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and who has called Trump a fascist, was granted a preemptive pardon by Joe Biden on Monday. Andrés and Trump have feuded since the celebrity chef pulled out of a deal to open a restaurant in Trump’s former D.C. hotel.

In a post on X, Andrés said he submitted his resignation last week because his two-year term had concluded, and he asked that “God give you (Trump) the wisdom … to put politics and name calling aside.”

“I hope @realdonaldtrump exercises his presidential authority so the Council can continue to advocate for fitness and good health for all Americans,” Andrés wrote. “These are bipartisan issues…nonpartisan issues.”

Trump’s commitment to thousands of changes is in line with his continued pledge to rid the federal government of employees he views as disloyal. He signed an executive order on Monday that aims to weaken protections for federal employees, a revival of a 2020 order that sought to do the same.

Before the election, Trump’s team had prepared a list of banned staffers that included anyone who quit over the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the capitol. All the moves are a continuation of Trump’s pledged desire to “drain the swamp” and remake Washington in his movement’s image.

He tasked billionaire ally Elon Musk to lead some of that effort through the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Musk initially promised to identify cuts of $2 trillion from the federal budget but has said more recently that $1 trillion is a more realistic target.

Changes to these types of councils are not uncommon between administrations and Trump has never been shy to announce administration shake-ups on social media. Biden similarly removed Trump loyalists from advisory boards early during his term.