Former U.S. President Donald Trump stated his intention to utilize American cities as “training grounds” for the military.
Addressing a gathering of military leaders from around the globe, Trump characterized “civil disturbances” as an “enemy from within,” asserting that such situations “won’t get out of control once you’re involved.”
These remarks follow Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon, ostensibly to combat crime and bolster immigration enforcement.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also spoke, declaring an end to “woke” culture at the Pentagon and announcing new “male-level” physical fitness standards for military officials.
The former president reiterated his criticism of Democratic-led cities, including San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, signaling a continuation of his policy of deploying the military for law enforcement purposes.
“They’re very unsafe places and we’re going to straighten them out one by one,” he stated, adding that it would be “a major part for some of the people in this room.”
“It’s a war from within. Controlling the physical territory of our borders is essential for national security. We can’t let these people in,” he added.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker criticized Trump, accusing him of using military troops and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to “invade and disrupt” U.S. cities.
“Our troops and our nation deserve better than you acting as a petty tyrant,” he stated in a post on X.
Security was heightened for the address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, a 55,000-acre facility in Virginia. The summit marked a rare assembly of senior military personnel.
Generals and admirals stationed worldwide listened to the remarks of both men.
The event commenced with an address from Hegseth, who announced that the U.S. military would require combatants to meet the “highest male standard” in physical fitness tests.
Hegseth acknowledged that the move may exclude some women from serving.
“Standards must be uniform, gender neutral, and high,” Hegseth told the crowd.
Hegseth outlined his vision for a cultural shift at the Pentagon and a greater “warrior ethos.” Trump echoed these sentiments in his subsequent address.
His speech emphasized the culture of the U.S. military, training, leadership, and “fixing decades of decay,” including DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs and the promotion of a “risk-averse” officer corps.
He said those officers had been unnerved by “climate change distractions”, “woke garbage” and fears of being labelled as “toxic” leaders.
In addition to announcing changes to fitness standards, Hegseth vowed to end the “era of unprofessional appearances”—including beard exemptions—and anonymous complaints procedures, as part of broader departmental changes.
He also addressed his previous firing of senior commanders, saying that he went with “his gut” and rid the military of those he believed would not shift away from policies set in previous administrations.
“More leadership changes will be made, I’m certain,” he said.
No official reason was publicly provided when the generals were summoned at short notice last week, prompting a flurry of speculation around what Trump and Hegseth would say.
Speaking about Hegseth’s reforms, Trump said that a focus on “fitness, ability and character” is not to “protect anyone’s feelings”.
“It’s to protect our country. We will not be politically correct when it comes to defending American freedom,” he said.
The former president also applauded his move to rebrand the Defence Department as the Department of War.
He said the secondary title for the Pentagon was “so popular”, even among his detractors, and contributed to what he has repeatedly claimed are skyrocketing recruitment figures.
“It’s a historic re-assertion of our purpose, our identity and our pride,” he said.
There was very little visible or audible reaction from the assembled generals and senior enlisted personnel in the audience, which was mostly silent except for the sound of hundreds of boots snapping to attention as he took the stage and stepped off. Many took notes in some military field notebooks as Hegseth spoke.
Trump took the stage afterwards, joking: “I’ve never walked into a room so silent before.”
He went on to remark: “Together, we’re reawakening the warrior spirit. And this is a spirit that won and built this nation.”
In a wide-ranging address, the US president went on to tout the achievements of the American military – and his own second presidency.
He remarked that he had “settled” seven wars, and hoped for an eighth – if Hamas accepted the proposal for Gaza that he had put forward with Israel.
Ahead of the event, US Vice-President JD Vance had accused the media of turning the meeting into a “big story”, stressing that it was “not particularly unusual” for Hegseth’s generals to meet him in person.
Some observers disagreed. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, an Italian admiral who serves as the chair of the Nato Military Committee, was quoted by the AP news agency as saying: “As far as my 49 years of service, I’ve never seen that before.”
Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank told Reuters: “It is mystifying why this was not done virtually so that senior officers don’t have to spend a lot of time travelling.”
Explaining the purpose of the meeting in advance, Trump told NBC News it would be an exercise in generating some “esprit de corps” – suggesting that he saw an opportunity to galvanise his troops.
The attendees reportedly included officers drawn from military installations as far as Europe, South Korea and the Middle East.
Many of them arrived hours before the event, and were seated in the auditorium according to their branch of service – Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force, easily distinguishable by uniforms.
Some wore campaign medals showing they had served in Afghanistan, Iraq or the American wider war on terror that was launched following the September 11 attacks in 2001.
No serious injuries were reported when parts of the ride came loose at a school event in Los Angeles.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled directives aimed at eliminating “woke” policies in the military and reaffirmed a return to ‘the highest male standard’ for combat roles.
Trump is asking the Israeli PM to risk his government but dangling the prospect of a historic legacy, writes Lucy Williamson.
Donald Trump hosted a phone call between the Israeli and Qatari PMs to ease tensions after Israel’s air strike on Hamas chiefs in Doha three weeks ago.
Democrats say there are still “very large differences” between the two sides, while Republicans have accused them of “not doing the right thing”.