Trump wants to turn American cities into military training grounds.
US President Donald Trump declared his intention to use American cities as "training grounds" for the military. In a speech to hundreds of high-ranking officers at the Quantico military base, he called "civil unrest" an "enemy within," writes Air force.
Trump is confident that the situation "will not get out of control if the military is involved."
The remarks came after the president deployed National Guard troops to Washington, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, to boost crime-fighting efforts and support immigration enforcement.
The White House chief again criticized Democratic-governed cities, particularly San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. He made it clear that he would continue to use the military for law enforcement purposes.
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"These are very unsafe places, and we're going to bring order there," he said, noting that this would be "an important task for some of you here." "This is an internal war. Control over our borders is essential to national security. We can't allow these people to get inside."
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker accused Trump of using the military and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to "invade and destabilize American cities."
"Our troops and our country deserve better than for you to act like a petty tyrant," he wrote on social media.
"Highest Male Standard" of Training
Security for the speech was extremely tight. The event, held on the 23-hectare grounds of Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, was a rare gathering of so many high-ranking officers in one place.
The generals and admirals listened to the speeches of the two speakers in complete silence.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth opened the meeting. He announced that from now on, American service members will be required to meet the "highest male standard" of physical fitness.
The head of the department acknowledged that this decision could exclude some women from the service: “Standards must be uniform, gender-neutral, and high.”
Hegseth outlined his vision for cultural change in the Pentagon and the need to strengthen "morale." Trump, who spoke after him, echoed his position.
The president focused on issues of military culture, training, leadership, and "reversing decades of decline," particularly the DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) program and, as he put it, "building a risk-averse officer corps."
He said the officers were too caught up in "climate-related distractions," "political correctness garbage," and a fear of being labeled "toxic" leaders.
In addition to changing fitness standards, Hegseth promised to end the practice of anonymous complaints and the "era of unprofessional appearance," specifically by revoking the beard ban.
"No more dudes in dresses," he declared.
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, a US Army veteran, told the BBC she was concerned about the impact Hegseth's statements would have on the future of the US military.
"His words today will influence recruitment, and not just women. I doubt many will want to serve in an army that's being used for political theater," she noted.
Duckworth accused the department's chief of seeking to push women and minorities out of the military.
"It is highly discriminatory for someone who is not up to the job to talk about women who are doing a great job," the senator emphasized.
Hegseth justified his previous firings of commanders by saying that he made such decisions "based on intuition" and rid the Army of those he believed were not prepared to abandon the policies of previous administrations.
“I am sure that there will be further personnel changes,” he warned.
Performance in complete silence
When the generals were unexpectedly called into a meeting last week, no official explanation was given, sparking speculation about what Trump and Hegseth would say.
Speaking about reforms in the Defense Department, Trump noted that the emphasis on "fitness, ability and character" is not being done for the sake of "protecting anyone's feelings."
"This is necessary to protect our country. We will not adhere to political correctness when it comes to protecting American freedom," he explained.
The president also endorsed the initiative to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War. He stated that this second name for the Pentagon had become "extremely popular" even among his opponents and, he claimed, had contributed to a sharp increase in recruitment.
"This is a historic return to our purpose, our identity, and our pride," Trump concluded.
The reaction of the generals and senior officers present was barely noticeable. The hall was silent, broken only by the clicking of hundreds of heels as he entered and exited the stage. Many officers took notes in their notebooks during Hegseth's speech.
As he took the stage, Trump joked, "Never before have I walked into a room so quiet." He then continued, "Together, we are awakening the warrior spirit. It is the very spirit that built and strengthened our nation."
In his speech, the US president celebrated the achievements of the American military and his second term. He stated that he had "resolved" seven wars and hoped to resolve an eighth—if Hamas accepted the plan he proposed jointly with Israel for Gaza.
Formation of a "corporate spirit"
Before the event, US Vice President J.D. Vance accused the media of "making a big deal out of the meeting," while such meetings of senior officers with the head of the Department of Defense "are nothing unusual."
However, not everyone agreed. Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, told the Associated Press: "In my 49 years of service, I've never seen anything like this."
Mark Kansian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies is also perplexed: “It’s unclear why the meeting wasn’t held virtually, which would have saved commanders from having to spend so much time traveling.”
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Explaining the purpose of the meeting in advance, Trump said he saw it as an exercise in building "esprit de corps," meaning he saw it as an opportunity to boost the morale of the military.
As it turned out, the participants included officers from military bases in Europe, South Korea, and the Middle East. Many arrived just hours before the start, and were seated in the hall according to their branch of service—Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force, easily identified by their uniforms.
Some of those gathered wore medals for service in Afghanistan and Iraq or as part of the broader campaign against terrorism that began after the attacks of September 11, 2001.
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