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Trump Administration Evicts Former Coast Guard Leader from Her House

Alana Mastrangelo

4–5 minutes

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The Trump administration reportedly evicted former a Coast Guard leader from her admiral quarters on Tuesday, two weeks after she was fired by President Donald Trump.

Former United States Coast Guard Admiral Linda Lee Fagan, who was fired on the President Trump’s second day in office, has been evicted from her admiral quarters home, two people familiar with the situation told NBC News.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials reportedly gave Fagan — who was terminated from her role over concerns relating to the U.S. border and “excessive focus” on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, among other issues — three hours to vacate the premises on Tuesday.

The Coast Guard gave Fagan a 60-day waiver to find new housing, one source told the outlet. Then at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, the admiral was informed that she had three hours to leave her quarters at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling in Washington, D.C., NBC reported.

A DHS official said, “She was terminated with cause two weeks ago today and she was still living in those admiral quarters.”

Homeland Security officials told Acting Commandant Kevin Lunday to remove Fagan because “the president wants her out of quarters,” one of the people familiar with the matter reportedly said.

Admiral Linda Fagan greets U.S. President Joe Biden during the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) change of command ceremony at USCG Headquarters in Washington, DC, on June 1, 2022. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

But the DHS official told NBC that he did not know if the order came directly from President Trump or if his name had been invoked without his knowledge.

Fagan left the admiral quarters “with many — maybe all — of her personal items and household goods still there,” a former U.S. military official told the outlet.

A DHS official told NBC that the U.S. Transportation Command is responsible for moving the rest of Fagan’s personal items out of the house, adding, “She was given a different place to stay. We’re still providing her housing.”

Fagan was also told to leave the house unlocked so that the inside could be photographed by DHS officials, one of the sources said.

“I do not authorize them to come into my house, whether I’m there or not,” Fagan reportedly told a Coast Guard official.

A Fagan “ally” complained to NBC, telling the outlet, “It’s petty and it’s personal,” adding, “It’s a really strange power play.”

Fagan was also terminated for “erosion of trust,” leadership and operational failures, and being unable to advance the strategic objectives of the Coast Guard, a senior DHS official told Fox News.

Her failures include the inability to address border security threats, as well as poor leadership in recruitment and retention, mismanagement in acquiring key acquisitions, and the mishandling and cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor.

Operation Fouled Anchor refers to the Coast Guard’s internal investigation into sexual assault cases at the Coast Guard Academy, for which Fagan was grilled by senators last summer during her testimony at a hearing on Capitol Hill.

At the hearing, Fagan was asked why she did not hold anyone accountable for the cover-up, and why documents were withheld from Congress.

Fagan has also been accused of ineffectively deploying Coast Guard assets to support national border security, including in intercepting fentanyl and other dangerous drugs coming into the United States through the southern border, as well as having had inadequate coordination with DHS to prioritize operations along maritime borders, Fox News noted.

Persistent delays and cost overruns in obtaining essential platforms such as helicopters and icebreakers also transpired under Fagan’s leadership. This undermined the Coast Guard’s power in strategic regions, the official said.