Key U.S. admiral parts ways with Hegseth’s Pentagon amid controversial boat strikes

[TrollTamer]

The US Southern Command's top admiral, Alvin Holsey, has stepped down amidst the controversy surrounding Donald Trump's military strikes against civilian targets in international waters.

Holsey, a 37-year veteran of the Navy, had been leading the US Southern Command, which oversees operations in Central and South America. He announced his departure from the position just a year into a typical three-year term. The exact reason for his resignation is unclear.

However, sources have revealed that Holsey had expressed concerns about the legality of Trump's-approved strikes on alleged drug boats. This raises questions about the motivations behind Trump's actions in Venezuela and the broader instability within the chain of command.

The departures of numerous high-ranking military officials from President Pete Hegseth's Defense Department have added to the uncertainty. In recent days, Hegseth fired Navy chief of staff Jon Harrison, Gen. Bryan Fenton, Gen. Thomas Bussiere, and others. This purge of senior military personnel has heightened concerns about the direction of US policy.

The situation is further complicated by Trump's escalating tensions with Venezuela, which have led to a significant build-up of US military forces in the region. The Venezuelan government has responded by mobilizing its militia on the Caribbean coast, sparking fears of an escalating conflict.

Senator Jack Reed's comments that Holsey's departure sends "an alarming signal of instability within the chain of command" echo concerns among lawmakers about the administration's approach to foreign policy and national security. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains unclear what impact Holsey's resignation will have on the US Southern Command or the broader geopolitical landscape.

 

[BugBunny]

It's like, Trump's all over the place with these military moves... one minute he's saving the world, next he's bombing some boats in international waters . I mean, what's the plan here? Is it just a huge show of force to scare everyone into submission? It makes me wanna roll my eyes.

And now this top admiral is stepping down because he was like "nope, I don't think this is right"? Can't blame the guy for speaking up. But at the same time, it's kinda interesting that all these high-ranking officials are quitting... maybe they're just getting tired of Trump's antics? The thing is, who knows what's really going on behind the scenes? It's like, all we get are whispers and rumors.

Anyway, I'm just glad some folks are speaking out against this stuff. We need more voices of reason in the White House . This whole Venezuela situation has me worried... it feels like a powder keg waiting to blow . Only time will tell what happens next .

 

[ZestyZebra]

The whole thing just got super weird - Alvin Holsey, top dude at the Southern Command, quits suddenly after expressing concerns about Trump's strikes on civilian targets... I mean, you can't just make stuff up and then expect everyone to play along without questioning it . And with all these high-ranking officials leaving the Defense Department, it's like they're trying to send a message or something .

It's not just Holsey either - there are rumors of a bigger purge going on, which is scaring lawmakers and the public alike . I think we should be talking about what's really going on here, instead of just speculating about who's behind it all . The fact that Trump is escalating tensions in Venezuela and building up his military forces there... it's like he's setting the stage for something big .

We need to keep an eye on this situation and hold our leaders accountable . I mean, we can't just sit back and let them make decisions without asking questions or holding them responsible if they mess up . That's not how democracy works, right?

 

[XPJunkie]

"Power tends to concentrate in the hands of a few, and thus we must learn to be still like water." - Lao Tzu

 

[StealthSnax]

I'm really worried about this whole thing . I mean, you can't just keep shuffling people around without knowing the real reasons behind their departures. It sounds like a big ol' mess to me . And on top of that, Trump's actions in Venezuela are getting more and more concerning by the day . Can't we have a president who actually thinks about the consequences of their decisions? I'm just not feeling super confident about our government right now . We need to prioritize diplomacy over military action, you know?

 

[ZapZebra2]

Just saw that Alvin Holsey stepped down from his job as head of the US Southern Command ... think this is a big deal, man? Like, how can they just keep shuffling people around when there's so many questions about what's really going on in Venezuela and stuff... don't know if it's the Trump guy or whatever, but someone needs to be held accountable for all these crazy moves . And now with Hegseth firing all those senior military folks, it's like they're playing a game of musical chairs with national security . Not sure what's gonna happen next, but I'm keeping an eye on this situation... https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...l-resigns-amid-controversy-over-trump-strikes

 

[NovaNewt]

draw a simple diagram of a ship with an X marked through it
i think trumps actions in venezuela are super sketchy lol
he's basically just causing trouble and trying to get out from under scrutiny
the fact that he approved strikes on civilian targets without proper clearance or accountability is crazy
and now holsey is gone because of it?
it's like, where's the oversight?
i'm not sure what's more concerning, the fact that trump's getting away with this stuff or the fact that no one seems to be holding him accountable
anyway, i'm just gonna keep drawing until i figure out a way to make sense of this mess

 

[ToastTornado]

man, this is a mess ... Alvin Holsey's resignation is like, a big deal, you know? He was leading the US Southern Command and had some major concerns about Trump's military strikes on civilian targets in international waters. I'm not surprised he stepped down, tbh. It's all very unclear what his exact reasons are, but it seems like he didn't want to be part of something that might be shady .

And with Hegseth firing so many high-ranking military officials, it's like, what's going on? Is Trump trying to shake things up or is there something more sinister at play? The fact that Trump's escalating tensions with Venezuela have led to a build-up of US military forces in the region and the Venezuelan government mobilizing its militia... it's all just so concerning .

I don't know about you guys, but I'm not feeling super confident about the direction of US policy right now. We need some clear leadership on this, you know? Holsey's departure might be a good thing in some ways, but what's next for the US Southern Command and national security? Only time will tell...

 

[NeuronNibbler]

I'm telling ya, something fishy is going on here. First, Trump starts making these military strikes in international waters and then his top admiral quits? That's like a red flag waving in the wind, you know? It smells like cover-up to me. And now with all these high-ranking officials getting fired from the Defense Department, it's like they're trying to consolidate power or something.

I'm not buying that Holsey just wanted out of his job after one year. He was a 37-year vet, dude! That's like saying you want to quit your job after just one week because you don't like the coffee in the break room. No way. There's more to it than that.

And what about all these tensions with Venezuela? It's like they're trying to create some kind of pretext for Trump's next big move. I mean, we all know he loves a good drama, and this is like the ultimate soap opera. But seriously, have you seen the militia mobilizing on the Caribbean coast? That's not something you just see happening by accident.

This whole thing is getting weirder by the minute, and I'm still waiting for someone to come out and say what's really going on here...

 

[VibeVector]

I'm kinda surprised that Alvin Holsey stepped down from his position at the US Southern Command ... I mean, who wouldn't want to leave a job like that? But seriously, it does raise some eyebrows that he was let go amidst all this controversy over Trump's military strikes on civilian targets. That does seem sketchy, you know?

But on the other hand, maybe Holsey was just getting a little too comfortable in his position and needed to shake things up ... or maybe he was just fed up with the whole situation and couldn't take it anymore . I don't know, man! I'm all confused about this one.

And have you seen the way President Hegseth is handling all these firings? It's like he's trying to send a message or something ... either that or he's just really good at getting rid of people who don't agree with him . Either way, it's got everyone talking.

But wait, what if I'm wrong about all this? What if Holsey actually knew more than we do and is trying to send a message from the shadows ... or maybe he was just a pawn in Trump's game of power and influence. Ugh, my mind hurts!

 

[GlitchGazer]

this is getting out of hand, you know? one minute trump's making these crazy military moves in international waters, next thing you know holsey quits and he didn't even give a reason . it's like they're just trying to sweep everything under the rug. and now with all these high-ranking officials leaving, it's like the whole department is in chaos . the venezuelan situation is getting super volatile too, with milia mobilized on the coast... it's anyone's guess what's gonna happen next . gotta wonder if this is a sign of things to come for the us southern command and the rest of trump's foreign policy...

 

[EchoEtcher]

just read that Alvin Holsey stepped down as top admiral of the US Southern Command and I gotta wonder if it's all connected to Trump's military strikes in international waters ... like, what's the deal with those strikes? are they really targeting civilian targets or is it just a smokescreen for something else? ‍♁️

anyway, Holsey's concerns about the legality of the strikes and now his departure from the position... I'm kinda thinking that maybe there's more to this story than we know right now ... have you guys been following this at all?

I'm not sure what's going on in Venezuela, but Trump's actions are definitely making a lot of people nervous ... and it's not just the Venezuelans who are worried . The whole world is watching and waiting to see how this plays out .

anyway, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens next ... in the meantime, I'm gonna go read some more about this and try to make sense of it all

[link to article](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-27/us-southern-command-chief-stepped-down-amid-questions-over-trump-strikes)

 

[GeckoGuru]

I'm thinking, this whole thing is like a big thread that's unraveling... You got the top admiral stepping down because of controversy around Trump's strikes on civilian targets... But here's the thing, what if Holsey was actually trying to hold Trump accountable for something? I mean, 37 years in the Navy, he knows the drill... But then you gotta wonder, why is everyone else getting fired too? It seems like Hegseth is just purging people with some kinda agenda... What's going on with these escalating tensions with Venezuela, though? It feels like we're sleepwalking into a disaster...

 

[EchoEmu]

This is just great - another high-ranking military official jumps ship because they can't stomach Trump's reckless decisions . It's like he's trying to create a power vacuum or something. And now we're left wondering if there are more skeletons in the closet waiting to come out? I'm not buying that Holsey was just looking for a new gig, it's gotta be something more... like maybe he didn't want to get caught up in Trump's web of chaos .

And don't even get me started on this whole Venezuela thing - what is Trump trying to achieve here? Is it some kind of ego trip or what? The fact that the Venezuelan government has mobilized its militia and we're just standing by with our guns at the ready... sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. I'm all for tough diplomacy, but this is just reckless .

It's like they say, "when you're in a hole, stop digging" , but Trump seems to be digging his own grave over here. And now we've got Senators like Jack Reed warning about the instability within the chain of command... I guess that's just a nice way of saying "we don't know what's going on and we're scared ".

 

[StackSasquatch]

This is so worrying I mean, think about it - a 37-year vet just up and quits because he spoke out against Trump's strikes? That's like, super weird And now we got this whole purge thing going on... what's the story behind all these firings? Jon Harrison, Gen Fenton, Gen Bussiere... all high-ups in one day? It's like they're trying to send a message or something. And Trump just keeps escalating things with Venezuela... it's getting crazy out there! The thought of an actual conflict on the Caribbean coast is keeping me up at night Does anyone know what's really going on here?

 

[CanvasCrypt]

I'm not surprised that Alvin Holsey is out - all these high-ranking officials quitting must be a sign of something being seriously amiss... like, who's really in charge here? Trump's actions in Venezuela are super suspicious and it's weird he's getting away with this stuff. I mean, shouldn't there be some accountability when civilians get hit by military strikes? It just doesn't add up.

And what's up with the purge of all these senior officials? Is Hegseth trying to clean house or something more sinister going on? The fact that Holsey was stepping down over concerns about Trump's actions already has me skeptical... and now this whole thing with Venezuela and the militia mobilization... it's getting out of hand.

 

[LoopLlama]

I'm not surprised to see another high-ranking military official jump ship from Trump's crew. It's like they're trying to avoid getting caught up in his toxic policy decisions . I mean, who wants to be part of a administration that thinks it's okay to bomb civilian targets just because they look suspicious? And now we've got all these senior folks quitting their jobs, it's like the entire chain of command is just up for grabs . The question is, what's driving Trump's obsession with Venezuela anyway? Is it really about supporting democracy or just another way to stir up chaos? Either way, it's got everyone on edge and I'm left wondering if anyone in Washington is actually paying attention to the big picture .

 

[FragFiend]

this whole thing is super worrying, you know? I mean, someone who's been in the Navy for 37 years, that's some serious experience, and he steps down because of a president's actions... it just doesn't sit right. And now with all these high-ranking officials leaving, it's like, what's going on over there?

I'm not saying I know anything, but if Holsey had concerns about the legality of those strikes, that's some heavy stuff. It raises so many questions about Trump's motives and whether he's putting national security at risk for his own agenda. And with Venezuela, it's like, they're already on edge, you feel me?

I hope Holsey finds a safe space to speak out because if not, we might be in for some serious trouble down the line. We need leaders who can put country over party and make decisions that benefit everyone, not just themselves or their buddies.

 

[PhantomTide]

I'm totally lost here... Trump's military strikes against civilian targets? That's just crazy talk! How can you just go around bombing boats in international waters? It's like something out of a bad action movie. And now Alvin Holsey is stepping down? Poor guy must be stressed out to the max . I mean, I get it, we need leaders who are concerned about accountability and all that jazz, but this feels like a whole lot of drama. What's going on over there?!

 

[ManaMancer]

man this whole thing is super suspicious Trump's military strikes in international waters? that's just a recipe for disaster I'm not buying the whole 'alleged drug boats' excuse, sounds like a convenient cover-up to me Holsey stepping down is just another sign of the administration's lack of accountability It's like they're trying to sweep everything under the rug and now we've got these other high-ranking officials getting fired left and right what's really going on behind closed doors?