Trump's "A Team" is churning

Resignations in Trump's cabinet, other high-level positions, senior military officers, and throughout the Department of Justice is more than usual.

Since March, three of President Trump’s cabinet members have resigned under pressure:

The first was Kristi Noem, who was fired in March from her role as the Department of Homeland Security Secretary. In April, Pam Bondi resigned from her role as Attorney General and Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned from her position as Secretary of Labor. All three faced scandals shortly before their ousting. In May, Tulsi Gabbard resigned from her position as the Director of National Intelligence effective June 30. (Though she cited her husband’s health, pundits had speculated that she might resign after the strikes on Iran on February 28 due to her strong opposition to foreign interventionism.) This pattern goes beyond the Cabinet.

Brookings tracks turnover of high-level positions in the Executive Branch and puts it in historical context. During Trump’s first term, 14 of his 15 cabinet members vacated their roles. The next-highest turnover rate within the cabinet since Reagan was George H.W. Bush with eight. Cabinet members don’t typically resign within the first year of an administration, a pattern Trump bucked in his first term but held to in his second. So while they got a lot of media coverage, it’s not shocking to see turnover. Four resignations within three months, however, is a rapid pace. The most cabinet-level resignations Trump has had in a single year is five.

The second Trump Administration has also experienced significant turnover of other high-level non-cabinet positions in its first year. When compared to Trump’s first term, the turnover rate is lower so far. But when compared to other administrations going back to Reagan, Trump’s turnover levels are extraordinarily high.

Of the “A Team” positions tracked by Brookings, six resigned and eight were pushed out, resigning under pressure. Trump takes first and second place in recent history, doubling the next runner-up, Reagan, for first-year turnover rates. Historically, this turnover rate often increases significantly in the 2nd year, though in Trump’s first term turnover in these positions peaked in the first year. The National Security Council, in particular, experienced a wave of firings early on in Trump’s second term after many were deemed insufficiently loyal to the President. The purge followed a meeting between President Trump and right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who had posted on social media about the disloyalty of some of those who were fired.

Some have voluntarily resigned due to policy disagreements such as Joe Kent, who resigned from his role as National Counterterrorism Center Director due to the war with Iran. Others have been forced to resign after public scandals that humiliated the President, such as National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, who included a journalist on a What’sApp chat used to plan classified military operations, and Gregory Bovino who was leading the Border Patrol charge for Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis when Reneé Good and Alex Pretti were killed. Public disagreement with the Administration can also lead to oustings. Elon Musk, the public face of the spectacularly ineffective cost-cutting agency DOGE, was pushed out after initiating a public feud with Trump over the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill in 2025 which increased government spending.

Some level of turnover is to be expected in any administration. People move to other positions or resign for any number of personal reasons. But some administrations see more turnover due to internal conflict and scandal than others. Reagan had six National Security Advisors, three of which resigned due to scandal (one for bribery and the other two for the Iran Contra Affair when the U.S. illegally sold arms to Iran and diverted funds to the Contras, an insurgent group in Nicaragua) while the other two were promoted to his cabinet. Biden had an unusually low turnover rate in his cabinet, with only two members not serving for his full term, and both resignations were for personal reasons. But Biden’s turnover rate in high-level non-cabinet positions was average compared to previous administrations.

The Justice Department also experienced significant turnover in 2025. Thousands of workers left the Department last year, both through firings and resignations, leading to lower hiring prerequisites for federal prosecutors and FBI staff as they struggle to keep up with their workloads. Reports have indicated that the FBI is having trouble filling positions and as a result has promoted agents with less experience than is standard for their roles. The causes of these staffing shortages are resignations and retirements due to politicization of the department and firings of individuals who aren’t deemed sufficiently loyal to President Trump.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fired dozens of senior military officers and, paired with high-level resignations, the result is a loss of experience and expertise within the Department of Defense. Hegseth has made it clear that he will not put up with what he calls “woke” ideology or diversity, equity, and inclusion (e.g. by refusing promotions to qualified women and Black officers). Many retired military officers have concerns for the long-term impacts of these firings and forced retirements on the Department as a whole. Some worry that with loyalty to the President rather than the Constitution as a top requirement, the culture and effectiveness of the department could suffer.

Overall, the second Trump Administration has seen slightly less high-level turnover than in the first, but still more than any other president in recent history. As Trump’s popularity continues to crater, there is reason to expect continued turnover at cabinet and below-cabinet levels.