President Donald Trump’s secretary of war summoned 800 of the US’s top commanders and put them on notice that ‘fat troops’ and ‘dudes in dresses’ will not longer be tolerated.
Pete Hegseth and Trump told generals and admirals who flew in from Europe, Asia and around the world for an unusual gathering in Quantico, Virginia, that there will be new fitness standards and ‘woke’ policies will be erased.
Hegseth, whose title has not yet been officially changed from secretary of defense, said he was ‘tired of seeing fat troops’.
‘It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the world,’ he said from Marine Corps Base Quantico today.
‘It’s a bad look.’
Hegseth blamed ‘ideological garbage’ for the Department of Defense becoming ‘infected’.
‘No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses,’ he said.
‘No more climate change worship. No more division, distraction or gender delusions. No more debris. As I’ve said before and will say again, we are done with that s***.’
Hegseth told the top brass that he is implementing 10 new directives around physical fitness and bringing back ‘the highest male standard’ to the military. He said the guidelines are ‘not about preventing women from serving’.
‘If women can make it, excellent, if they cannot – then so be it… it will also mean that weak men won’t qualify,’ he said.
‘This is combat.’
Hegseth assured the military leaders that the department stands for ‘strength through peace’, but pushed a clear objective.
‘From this moment forward the only mission of the newly restored Department of War is this: war fighting, preparing for war and preparing to win,’ he said.
Speaking after Hegseth, Trump delivered a rambling speech that lasted for more than an hour and told the commanders, ‘Together, we’re reawakening the warrior spirit’.
‘We’re bringing back a focus on fitness, ability, character and strength, and that’s because the purpose of the American military is not to protect anyone’s feelings,’ said Trump.
‘It’s to protect our republic.’
The president also said that soldiers and federal law enforcement agents should be allowed to hit anti-immigration enforcement protesters. He brought up a specific protester’s alleged interaction with an agent.
‘She starts spitting in his face and he’s not allowed to do anything,’ Trump said.
‘If it’s OK with you, generals and admirals, I’ve taken that off. I say, “They spit. We hit.” Is that OK? We think so.’
Trump vowed that his administration ‘will not be politically correct’ on ensuring American freedom and that the military will be ‘the best, the boldest, the bravest that the world has ever seen’.
It was not clear why Hegseth and Trump determined it was necessary to bring military leaders in from around the globe on short notice for the in-person gathering, amid issues facing the administration like a possible government shutdown.
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