Admiral Linda Lee Fagan, the first female uniformed leader of a U.S.
Armed Forces branch, was dismissed by the Trump administration, reportedly due to prioritizing diversity over border security. 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.
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. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) also highlighted how so-called “woke” Coast Guard policies affected other service branches.
“Our service academies are critical institutions for the security of our nation, not laboratories for the far-left’s social experiments,” the now-senator told The Post in October 2023.
Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in an August 2024 letter to then-Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
“We have heard from service members concerned with trainings and events they believe to be extraneous to mission-critical tasks, specifically Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) inclusivity training programs, including … examples of official USCG announcements encouraging service member participation in Transgender Shipmates Inclusion Training,” they added.
Rep.
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.
"Even still we don't have the diversity we need at the senior leadership ranks. 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.
"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
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.
Lunday served as vice commandant under Fagan.
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. 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 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.