SecDef used his unprecedented meeting to unveil 10 personnel and due-process initiatives. Hundreds of admirals, generals, and senior enlisted leaders sat mostly silent as Pete Hegseth strode a stage at Quantico, Virginia, on Tuesday, inveighing against “fat” troops and leaders and announcing initiatives around physical fitness and grooming standards, the inspector general process, and mandatory training. Some of the initiatives flow from reviews Hegseth has ordered since taking the job in January.
Others take aim at processes that affect or have affected the secretary himself. For example, he called for a review of the inspector general process, which enables troops to anonymously report concerns without fear of retaliation. Hegseth is under investigation by the department’s inspector general for allegedly using an unsecure, unapproved app to conduct official business in the form of sending strike plans over Signal.
He also called for a review of the rules governing the retention of “adverse information” on personnel records, which can hamstring a service member’s assignment or promotion chances. Hegseth has said he resigned from the D.C. National Guard in 2021 after his superiors concluded that his tattoos were associated with white supremacist ideology and barred him from serving at Biden inaugural events. Defense One’s Meghann Myers reports on the event and lists the 10 new initiatives, here.
Rewind: You can watch Hegseth’s speech at C-Span or read DOD’s transcript of it.
Hegseth was followed by President Trump, whose hourlong talk meandered among various subjects. Former Naval War College professor Tom Nichols wrote at The Atlantic, “The most ominous part of his speech came when he told the military officers that they would be part of the solution to domestic threats, fighting the ‘enemy from within.’ He added, almost as a kind of trollish afterthought, that he’d told Hegseth, ‘We should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military—National Guard, but military—because we’re going into Chicago very soon. That’s a big city with an incompetent governor. Stupid governor.’”
CNN tallied and annotated a wide variety of false claims Trump told the generals in a fact check from reporter Daniel Dale, here.
In reruns: Watch Trump’s speech on C-Span or read a transcript via Roll Call.
Capitol Hill reax:
- Marine veteran Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska: “Way to go, [Hegseth]! If you can’t make the weight, get on the pull-up bar, or do PFTs, you don’t belong in the U.S. military.”
- Army veteran Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and member of the Armed Services Committee: “The terrific speeches by President Trump and [Hegseth] outlined a bright future for our armed forces. By removing politics, emphasizing fitness standards and combat readiness, our military is refocused on deterring wars and winning them if necessary.”
- Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., former Air Force JAG officer: “President Trump articulated a vision of peace through strength and one of ending wars decisively if they start. He re-emphasized his commitment to sell high-end weapons to Ukraine and to continue to pursue peace in the Middle East. It is a breath of fresh air to see a Commander-in-Chief expressing unending pride in our military and being strong without apology. Whether it’s interdicting drug boats bound for the United States or outlining what it means to have a warrior’s spirit, it is clear that President Trump and his defense team are implementing a new era of strength and commitment to protecting America on all fronts.”
- Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and ranking member on the Armed Services Committee: Hegseth’s speech “signals that partisan loyalty matters more than capability, judgment, or service to the Constitution, undermining the principle of a professional, nonpartisan military,” and Trump’s “reckless suggestion that American cities be used as ‘training grounds’ for U.S. troops is a dangerous assault on our democracy, treating our own communities as war zones and our citizens as enemies.”
- Retired Navy officer Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and SASC member: “We have the most lethal military in the world. All of this (parades, picking up garbage in US cities and unnecessary meetings) distracts from the mission and if anything makes us less lethal. This is what you get when you install the Saturday morning news guy as Secretary of Defense.”
- Army veteran Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, and also a member of SASC: “The nation’s top defense leader encouraging hazing troops who answered the call to fight and die for us is utterly appalling, especially from someone who should know that American troops have died from hazing. He also claimed that weakening rules of engagement strengthens our warfighters, when in reality it will simply create more enemies of America and make it more likely those enemies would torture captured American troops. And his claim that diversity is ‘debris’ erases the valor shown by women, people of color and many others who’ve served in uniform since this country’s founding and makes a mockery of our Veterans.” And the president’s “desire to use American cities as ‘training grounds for our military’ isn’t just intrinsically un-American, it’s unconstitutional and is the sort of misuse of the military that tin-pot dictators—not Presidents—are known for,” Duckworth said in a statement.
Stateside headlines:
- Washington Post: “Trump tells a roomful of silent generals to join a ‘war from within’”
- Wall Street Journal: “Trump tells generals the military will be used to fight ‘enemy within’”
- Los Angeles Times: “Trump says he wants to use US cities as training grounds for military”
- New York Times: “Trump Tells Top Brass U.S. Cities Should Be Military ‘Training Grounds,’” but the Times later pivoted to, “Trump and Hegseth Recount Familiar Partisan Complaints to Top Military Leaders”
- And the Associated Press: “Hegseth wants ‘male standard’ for combat roles. Many female veterans say that’s already the case”
How Trump’s speech played overseas:
- BBC: “US cities should be military training grounds, Trump tells generals”
- AFP: “Trump says US cities should be military ‘training grounds’”
- Le Monde: “‘War from within,’ end of beards, stricter physical tests: Trump and Hegseth unveil new direction for US military”
- Yonhap: “Trump highlights homeland security as ‘first, most important’ priority for U.S. military”
- Japan Times: “Trump speech to military brass hints at looming Pentagon shift to focus on homeland”
Welcome to this Wednesday edition of The D Brief, a newsletter dedicated to developments affecting the future of U.S. national security, brought to you by Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston with Tom Novelly. It’s more important than ever to stay informed, so thank you for reading. Share your tips and feedback here. And if you’re not already subscribed, you can do that here. On this day in 1961, the Defense Intelligence Agency was formed.
Around the Defense Department
The Air Force’s leadership shakeup continues. Gen. Thomas Bussiere, the head of Air Force Global Strike Command, announced he was stepping away from his military career. Bussiere said Tuesday evening in a LinkedIn post he “made the difficult decision to request retirement from the United States Air Force for personal and family reasons.”
Bussiere: “While I’m stepping away from active duty, my commitment to service remains,” the four-star general said. “I look forward to finding new ways to support our Air Force, our national defense, and the incredible people who make it all possible.”
His sudden announcement follows Trump’s speech Tuesday, and it comes after Bussiere’s nomination to serve as the Air Force’s vice chief of staff was withdrawn last month without any public explanation. Bussiere had overseen aspects of Operation Midnight Hammer, the B-2 bomber mission this summer targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities.
It also immediately follows President Donald Trump’s nomination of Gen. Ken Wilsbach, the former head of Air Combat Command, to serve as the service’s new top uniformed leader. “The trust and confidence placed in me is not something I take lightly,” Wilsbach said in a press release Tuesday. “If confirmed, I intend to strengthen our warrior ethos and to build a more lethal force that is always ready to defend our homeland and deter our adversaries around the world.”
Also: America’s military drawdown from Iraq continues, Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement Wednesday. “In accordance with the President’s guidance and in alignment with the U.S.-Iraq Higher Military Commission and the joint statement issued on Sept. 27, 2024, the United States and Coalition partners will reduce its military mission in Iraq. This reduction reflects our combined success in fighting ISIS and marks an effort to transition to a lasting U.S.-Iraq security partnership in accordance with U.S. national interests, the Iraqi Constitution, and the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement.” More, here.
Additional reading:
More troops in American cities
Louisiana’s GOP governor wants to deploy 1,000 National Guard troops across his state until at least October 2026. “The proposed mission and scope for the Louisiana National Guard would be to deploy throughout the state to urban centers, supplement law enforcement presence in high-crime areas, provide logistical and communication support, and secure critical infrastructure,” Gov. Jeff Landry said in his Monday letter to the Defense Department. The troops are expected to spread out across New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport, the only three cities Landry mentioned in his letter.
“This request builds upon the successful model of Title 32 deployments in other jurisdictions, including Washington D.C. and Tennessee, and will provide critical support during several high-profile events, including the Bayou Classic, Sugar Bowl, and Mardi Gras. Louisiana National Guard deployments to New Orleans following Hurricane Ida (2021), Hurricane Francine (2024), the January Ist Terrorist Attack, Superbowl LIX, and Mardi Gras (2025),” Landry said in the letter.
Local reax: “Crime is not eliminated by soldiers on the streets—crime is reduced when people have access to better jobs/careers/wages, education, healthcare, and opportunity,” said Rep. Joy Walters, a Democrat from Shreveport.
Panning out: “New Orleans has had the fewest murders this year since 1970,” said crime trends analyst Jeff Asher, writing Monday on social media. “This is a wholly unnecessary stunt,” he added. Read more at The Daily Beast.
Critical reax: “The National Guard is supposed to protect our state during real emergencies, not to serve as political props,” said Alanah Odoms, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana. “Flooding the cities we love with military troops is dangerous and would make people afraid to go about their daily lives. Safe communities are built by investing in our communities,” she said.
- By the way: More U.S. voters fear Trump will use the military to intimidate his opponents than fear crime will spiral out of control without the National Guard occupying American cities, according to a New York Times/Siena poll published Tuesday.
Missouri GOP Gov. Mike Kehoe just authorized his National Guard to help ICE with state-wide deportations until at least October 2026. The troops are expected to help with “data entry, case management, and logistical support,” Kehoe said in a statement Tuesday. “The Missouri National Guard is uniquely equipped to provide this essential administrative support, and we are confident their contributions will be invaluable to immigration enforcement efforts,” the governor said.
Local reax: “Using the brave women and men of our National Guard as paper pushers and case managers at immigration facilities undermines their mission and the law, directs them away from the important storm-response and local public safety efforts Missourians care about, and marks another example of Missouri public policy operating for the interests of Washington elites rather than everyday Missourians,” said Kansas City Democratic Mayor Quinton Lucas.
Critical reax: Kehoe’s announcement “ignores the needs of the St. Louis community that is still in the midst of clean up from a devastating tornado,” said Luz María Henríquez, executive director at the ACLU of Missouri. “With the backdrop of masked immigration agents breaking apart our families and communities, it is particularly concerning that the Governor is asking Guard members to voluntarily participate in this agenda. At the same time, he is failing to provide resources to the communities impacted by a natural disaster,” she added.
Related reading:
Trump 2.0
The U.S. government shut down at midnight. Trump has promised to initiate more mass layoffs, as Eric Katz of GovExec reports.
Background: “Disagreement stemmed from a deadlock in Congress over Democratic demands over health care—and Republican efforts to kick that can down the road,” the Associated Press reports in a liveblog documenting shutdown developments. “At issue are tax credits that have made health insurance through the Affordable Care Act more affordable for millions of people since the COVID-19 pandemic. The credits are set to expire at the end of the year if Congress doesn’t extend them—which would more than double what subsidized enrollees currently pay.”
For the Defense Department, Seamus Daniels of the Center for Strategic and International Studies published an explainer Tuesday: “What a Government Shutdown Would Mean for Defense Funding in FY 2026.”
And lastly: The Trump administration wants to cut federal counterterrorism money to New York by $187 million, which would be “an 86 percent reduction from what the state received under the Biden administration,” the New York Times reported Tuesday after nearly a dozen states sued the Department of Homeland Security to block the funding cuts.
“The grants helped fund bomb squads, canine teams and chemical weapon detection,” the Times reports. They also “helped train officers to respond to an active shooter situation or a collapsed building, and paid for intelligence analysts and for members of the National Guard standing watch at Grand Central Terminal.”
Local reax: “A Republican administration literally defunding the police is the height of hypocrisy,” Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Tuesday. “And walking away from the fight against terrorism in the No. 1 terrorist target in America is utterly shocking.”
Related reading:
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