United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and US President Donald Trump used a Pentagon gathering last week to criticize top U.S. military leaders and outline controversial new priorities.
Hegseth, who has overseen widespread shake-ups since Trump took office, opened the event by blasting what he called a “woke” Pentagon.
“Foolish and reckless political leaders set the wrong compass heading and we lost our way,” he declared. “But not anymore.”
He defended his decision to fire senior officers, including the military’s top general, who is Black, and the Navy’s top admiral, who is a woman, saying they represented a broken culture.
Calling it “completely unacceptable” to see “fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon,” Hegseth vowed stricter fitness standards, grooming rules, and male-only benchmarks for fitness tests. “The era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beardos,” he said, as the room sat largely in silence.
Trump tells military leaders: “I have your backs”
When Trump took the stage, he spoke for more than an hour in remarks that mixed praise for the armed forces with scorn for political rivals and the media.
“If you don’t like what I’m saying, you can leave the room,” Trump said, half-jokingly. “Of course, there goes your rank, there goes your future.”
Echoing Hegseth, Trump dismissed diversity initiatives and pledged a return to merit-based promotions. “I support you, and as president, I have your backs 100%,” he told the audience of uniformed officials seated under a large American flag.
Democrats condemn event as politicisation of military
Democrats quickly denounced the gathering, warning it undermined the U.S. military’s nonpartisan role.
“It signals that partisan loyalty matters more than capability, judgment, or service to the Constitution,” said Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also criticized Trump’s comments after the former president described undocumented immigrants as part of an “invasion from within.” Pritzker responded: “Anyone who talks about their fellow Americans as enemies to be ‘taken out’ is not fit to lead the nation.”
The event comes after eight months of sweeping changes under Trump’s leadership. His administration has banned certain books from military academies, dismissed top commanders, and authorized lethal strikes on suspected drug boats off Venezuela.
Trump also signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense the “Department of War,” though the move requires congressional approval.
Over the weekend, he announced plans to deploy National Guard troops to Portland and has already sent troops to Los Angeles and promised deployments to Chicago. He told Hegseth the cities could serve as “training grounds” for military forces.
