Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has formally terminated the service of every member sitting on the Department of Defense’s advisory committees.
This sweeping action includes the ousting of Obama-era figure and Biden confidante Susan Rice, who had quietly maintained her seat on the panel up until this week.
Rice’s tenure in government includes her central role in the Benghazi scandal, her promotion of the debunked “unmasking” campaign against Trump associates, and her policy leadership under Biden’s domestic agenda.
The now-defunct panels included several well-known Democrats and Bush-era Republicans:
- Janine Davidson (Chair) – Former Under Secretary of the Navy under Obama. A staunch Democrat and longtime proponent of Obama-era military reforms, now steering Pentagon policy advice.
- Michèle Flournoy – Held major Pentagon roles under Clinton and Obama; often discussed as a potential Secretary of Defense under Hillary Clinton or Biden.
- Colin Kahl – National Security Advisor to then-VP Biden, later Under Secretary of Defense for Policy under Biden. Key Biden ally and architect of many failed Middle East strategies during the Obama years.
- Susan Rice – National Security Advisor under Obama; Domestic Policy Advisor under Biden. Central to Obama’s foreign policy blunders and later helped craft Biden’s radical domestic agenda.
- Dana Shell Smith – Career diplomat; served as U.S. Ambassador to Qatar under Obama.
- Eric Edelman – Undersecretary of Defense for Policy under George W. Bush; strong neoconservative background.
- Jon Huntsman Jr. – Served under George W. Bush (Ambassador to Singapore) and Obama (Ambassador to China); briefly served under Trump (Ambassador to Russia).
- Kori Schake – Held roles under Bush; associated with AEI and other think tanks; known for hawkish, internationalist views.
Hegseth’s decisive action came after a 45-day internal review, which concluded that these advisory bodies had become bloated, ineffective, and, in many cases, politically misaligned with the department’s new mission under President Trump’s renewed leadership.
In a statement issued late Thursday, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell made clear that the department was taking a new direction:
“Yesterday, informed by the recently concluded 45-day review of DOD advisory committees, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the conclusion of service of all members of each DOD advisory committee that had been subject to the review, consistent with applicable law.
Secretary Hegseth appreciates the members’ efforts on behalf of the department and the United States of America, but changes are needed to support the new strategic direction and policy priorities of the department and to ensure departmental resources are used efficiently.”
It is still unclear who will replace the advisory committees.
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