Speculation is swirling about U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan after reports surfaced that she has been terminated from her role at the beginning of Donald Trump's second term as president.
Fagan was reportedly dismissed on Tuesday over concerns about border security threats, "excessive focus on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives," and an "erosion of trust," Fox News reported, citing a senior Department of Homeland Security official.
Newsweek has contacted Fagan via email for comment, as well as the White House and the DHS.
Why It Matters
As part of Trump's agenda to "drain the swamp" and destroy the "deep state," numerous Biden-era officials and individuals perceived as unsupportive of Trump are expected to be replaced with members of Trump's inner circle or loyal allies. This follows Trump's warnings on the campaign trail about "enemies from within."
What To Know
According to Fox News, Fagan was fired from her role as U.S. Coast Guard Commandant by Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman for "failure to address border security threats, insufficient leadership in recruitment and retention, mismanagement in acquiring key acquisitions such as icebreakers and helicopters, excessive focus on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and an 'erosion of trust' over the mishandling and cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor."
Operation Fouled Anchor was the Coast Guard's secret internal investigation into sexual assault cases at the Coast Guard Academy. It substantiated dozens of rapes and assault allegations from the late 1980s to 2006 that had been botched by Coast Guard officials at the time. The Coast Guard did not disclose the existence of Operation Fouled Anchor until 2023, despite its existence from 2014 to 2019.
Fagan faced tough questioning from senators over the summer for failing to hold anyone accountable for the cover up and withholding documents related to the mishandling of the problem at the service's academy.
A DHS official told Fox News 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 was also accused of ineffective deployment of Coast Guard assets for national border security, including intercepting fentanyl and other illicit substances, and for insufficient coordination with DHS on maritime operations. A DHS official cited significant failures in recruitment, worsening operational readiness and a lack of innovative strategies to address retention in critical specialties.
Under her leadership, delays and cost overruns in acquiring essential platforms like icebreakers and helicopters were said to have undermined capabilities in strategic regions, including the Arctic. The official also pointed to inadequate accountability for acquisition failures and claimed that Fagan's focus on DEI policies diverted resources from operational priorities.
The report about Fagan comes after Trump signed a number of executive orders on Monday aimed at securing the border and deporting thousands of illegal immigrants, which he promised to do during his presidential campaign. He also signed an executive order to eliminate DEI policies implemented across the U.S.
Who Is Linda Fagan?
Fagan was appointed as the 27th Commandant of the Coast Guard in June 2022.
She was tasked with overseeing all global Coast Guard operations and 42,000 active-duty, 7,000 reserve and 8,700 civilian personnel, as well as the support of 21,000 Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers.
She was the first woman to lead the Coast Guard or any branch of the U.S. military.
She was previously the service's second in command, having graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1985, in just the sixth class that included women. She quickly rose up the ranks and eventually became an admiral.
Fagan told The New York Times in 2022 that she had never considered the possibility of becoming an admiral until later in her career.
"A lot of people would say, 'Oh yeah, I knew she was going to be an admiral,' but I didn't think about it," she said. "Even when I was first selected as an admiral you don't think about it, and then all of a sudden you look around and you go, 'Oh yeah, all right, I guess this is possible.'"
She added that she had not seen much diversity in the Coast Guard.
"When I look up in the organization, at least just a couple years ago there was not a ton of diversity," Fagan said. "Even still we don't have the diversity we need at the senior leadership ranks. But as I look back, it's all there and coming—certainly for women, and we still need to increase our number of underrepresented minority males."
"Diverse work teams just outperform nondiverse work teams," she added. "We need to ensure that there are no barriers to service for those that are service minded and meet the requirements of service."
"I hope sometime soon we're talking about the second female commandant, and the third female commandant, and that we'll have a Black male commandant.
"We, as a service, need to reflect the society that we serve, and creating opportunity for everyone in the service is important."
What Happens Next
It is currently unclear who could replace Fagan as U.S. Coast Guard Commandant. Trump has said he plans to purge over 1,000 Biden appointees from his administration who are "not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again."
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, he said he was firing four Biden administration officials. They are celebrity chef Jose Andres from the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, former Iran envoy Brian Hook from the Wilson Center for Scholars and Keisha Lance Bottoms from the President's Export Council.
The president's plans include unraveling much of Joe Biden's legacy, with Trump having already rescinded 78 executive orders issued during Biden's tenure.
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