U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth launched a blistering attack on military leadership and diversity programs during a rare gathering of top commanders in Quantico, Virginia, on Tuesday.
Hegseth accused past leaders of weakening the armed forces through misplaced priorities and pledged sweeping reforms. “Foolish and reckless political leaders set the wrong compass heading, and we lost our way. We became the ‘Woke Department,’” he declared. “But not anymore.”
Speaking to an audience of generals and admirals flown in from around the world, Hegseth defended his decision to dismiss several senior officers, including the top U.S. general, who is Black, and the Navy’s top admiral, who is a woman. He argued the firings were necessary to change a “broken culture.”
Hegseth promised new rules for handling discrimination complaints and misconduct allegations, saying the current system left senior officers walking on “eggshells.” He urged those unwilling to support his vision to step aside. “If the words I’m speaking today are making your hearts sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign,” he said. “I know the overwhelming majority of you feel the opposite. These words make your hearts full.”
The defense secretary also criticized the appearance and fitness of senior officers. “It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon,” he said, adding that all fitness standards would be set to male benchmarks only. “The era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beardos.”
President Donald Trump, who addressed the gathering after Hegseth, struck a mix of humor and warning. “If you don’t like what I’m saying, you can leave the room, of course, there goes your rank, there goes your future,” he joked. Trump then spoke warmly of the military while condemning the media, former President Joe Biden, and Venezuela.
He echoed Hegseth’s rejection of diversity programs. “Merit. Everything’s based on merit. You’re all based on merit,” Trump said. “We’re not going to have somebody taking your place for political reasons, because they are politically correct and you’re not. I am with you. I support you, and as president, I have your back 100%.”
The military, bound by tradition to remain apolitical, largely sat in silence during the speeches. Officers appeared expressionless as Trump and Hegseth delivered their remarks, underscoring the difficult balance between political directives and constitutional duty.
The event marked the latest in a series of sweeping changes since Trump took office, including the controversial decision to rename the Department of Defense back to its former title, the “Department of War,” pending congressional approval.