Every president has the right to choose the top military leaders he wishes to rely on, be it for advice or to command forces. That President Trump has decided to replace the chairman of the joint chiefs, the heads of the Navy and Coast Guard, and several other senior officers is his call.

Whether he did so because he perceived their elevation as a result of the pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion or whether he simply didn’t like the cut of someone’s jib — such is his privilege. These officers were accountable to the commander in chief, just as the president is to the American people.