Here’s how Tuesday’s gathering of U.S. military brass in Quantico, Virginia, got turned upside down, courtesy of Donald Trump. His remarks were delivered in the raucous, high-fiving style of a campaign rally. US Army vet and Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon in a speech welcoming the new defense secretary. Then Trump went on the offensive against America’s metropolitan centers and military wokeness. The speech, attended by around 800 senior military officials, has raised concerns about the increasing tension surrounding Trump’s rhetoric and his approach to military leadership.
In his speech, Trump started out by bragging on the economic record of his administration, all the while acknowledging the current impact of inflation. He followed that up with a blistering attack on what he called a “culture of sloth” in the military. This innocuous sounding comment raised eyebrows, given the context of his previous controversial interventions on military leadership.
Though the Trump Administration often criminalized the discussion of urban safety, He argued that cities like San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles are “highly dangerous.” He declared his intent to “straighten them out one by one,” indicating a willingness to deploy military resources in domestic situations. This announcement aligns with directives previously issued by Trump and Hegseth that included the controversial deployment of military forces in major urban areas.
The speech’s tone is stridently partisan. This has caused the ire of military leaders, who are almost always apolitical. Trump’s rhetoric has fueled further discussion regarding the role of the military in domestic affairs and the implications of his leadership style.
“The messages coming loud and clear from the administration are that they are far more relaxed than recent predecessors on the domestic role of the US military, and have a blase approach to the presentational and legal aspects.” – Matthew Savill
For one, critics point out a pernicious detail in Trump’s remarks. They are particularly worried by his radical plan to rename the American Secretary of Defense as “Minister of War.” This change in verbiage signals a wider acceptance of violent military euphemisms within civilian government.
“This way of speaking is worrying because it shows an increase in tension, and also this vocabulary of changing the minister of defence to the minister of war.” – Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV expressed hope that such rhetoric was merely a stylistic choice rather than indicative of actual policy changes.
Trump’s connection to Hegseth, who has been vocal against political correctness in the military, further complicates perceptions of the administration’s direction. Hegseth’s remarks included a fierce rejection of diversity initiatives within the armed forces, stating, “No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses.”
The meeting at Quantico came on the heels of an earlier appearance at Fort Bragg, where Trump was met with boos from helmeted, uniformed enlisted troops. This reaction points to a larger backlash brewing among military ranks over Trump’s command style and attitude toward military operations.
The meeting was a stage for military leaders, of very senior rank, from every continent. Most notably, they seized on Trump’s efforts to centralize more power over military operations. He’s repeatedly proclaimed that our American military is at his command. He just does it with a lighter touch, and an assertion of authority, with things like “my way or the highway.”