President Donald Trump said Tuesday the military should use US cities as training grounds for a “war from within,” in a darkly authoritarian speech to a rare meeting of top officers.
Republican Trump told hundreds of generals and admirals summoned from around the world to be ready for a greater role in crackdowns on Democrat-run cities, including Chicago.
The assembled top brass were separately warned by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth of a different challenge, as he vowed to eliminate “fat generals” and to roll back what he called “decades of decay.”
“I told Pete, we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military,” Trump said in front of a huge American flag at a military facility in Quantico, Virginia.
Trump added that “we’re going to straighten them out one by one, and this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That’s a war too — it’s a war from within.”
Trump began his speech by railing against so-called “woke” practices in the US military, saying that under his administration it was now “reawakening the warrior spirit.”
His hour-long address then took on an even more overtly political tone, in a break with previous presidents who have tended to avoid domestic politics when addressing troops.
– ‘Fat generals’ –
Former Fox News host-turned Defense Secretary Hegseth summoned the highly unusual meeting last week before Trump then announced that he would also speak.
Speculation had swirled about the purpose of gathering the whole US top brass in one place, with talk of a major military announcement.
But in the end it was largely a doubling down on restoring what Iraq war veteran Hegseth called the “military ethos.”
Striding the stage, Hegseth told all ranks they must now take a physical fitness test twice a year. “It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon,” he said.
Hegseth also insisted on “grooming standards” including short hair and shaving, adding: “If you want a beard you can join special forces. If not, then shave. We don’t have a military full of Nordic pagans.”
He also declared an end to “ideological garbage,” citing concerns over climate change, bullying, “toxic” leaders and promotions based on race or gender as examples.
The speeches by Trump and Hegseth came as the US military faces controversy both at home and abroad, with Trump deploying troops in Los Angeles and Washington, and shortly in Portland, Oregon and Memphis, Tennessee.
– ‘American muscle’ –
Internationally, he has ordered lethal strikes on small, alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, despite questions over the legality of the attacks.
Trump has also ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran-backed Yemeni rebels.
In a sometimes rambling speech, the US president said he was “discovering American muscle” and that the country had the “strongest military anywhere in the world.”
Trump has however overseen a rare purge of senior officers after taking office.
In May, Hegseth ordered major cuts to the number of general and flag officers in the US military, including at least a 20 percent reduction in the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals.
Since beginning his second term in January, Trump has also purged top officers, including chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff general Charles “CQ” Brown, whom he fired without explanation in February.
Other senior officers dismissed this year include the heads of the Navy and Coast Guard, the leaders of the National Security Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency, the vice chief of staff of the Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to NATO, and three top military lawyers.
Hegseth defended the firings on Tuesday, saying: “it’s nearly impossible to change a culture with the same people who helped create — or even benefited from — that culture.”
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