President Donald Trump began his second term with a sweeping purge of over 1,000 appointees from the previous Biden administration, targeting figures such as retired General Mark Milley and celebrity chef José Andrés. In a midnight post on Truth Social, Trump declared his intention to remove officials who do not align with his vision of “Making America Great Again.”
Among those dismissed was Milley, a vocal critic of Trump who had recently been appointed to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council by Biden. Milley, also a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had previously called Trump a “wannabe dictator.” Hours after Trump’s inauguration, Milley’s portrait was removed from the Pentagon, despite having been hung less than two weeks prior.
Chef José Andrés, another high-profile target, was removed from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. Andrés, known for founding World Central Kitchen and his humanitarian efforts, had a contentious history with Trump, stemming from a legal battle after he withdrew plans to open a restaurant in Trump’s DC hotel. Andrés responded to the dismissal on X (formerly Twitter), noting his term had already ended and urging the president to prioritize unity over division.
The personnel changes signal Trump’s intent to reshape the federal government in alignment with his administration’s priorities, marking a dramatic and controversial start to his second term.
