{"id":96497,"date":"2025-09-30T23:15:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T23:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=96497"},"modified":"2025-09-30T23:15:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T23:15:00","slug":"us-cities-should-be-military-training-grounds-trump-tells-generals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=96497","title":{"rendered":"US cities should be military training grounds, Trump tells generals"},"content":{"rendered":"
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US President Donald Trump has said he wants to use American cities as \u201ctraining grounds\u201d for the military.<\/p>\n

In an unusual address to hundreds of military leaders assembled from across the world, Trump described \u201ccivil disturbances\u201d as the \u201cenemy from within\u201d. He added that the situation \u201cwon\u2019t get out of control once you\u2019re involved\u201d.<\/p>\n

It comes after Trump deployed National Guard troops to Washington DC, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, in a crackdown on crime and to support immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also spoke, declaring an end to \u201cwoke\u201d culture at the Pentagon and announcing new \u201cmale-level\u201d, physical fitness standards for military officials.<\/p>\n

The president repeated his criticism of Democratic-led cities, including San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles and indicated he would continue his policy of using the military for law enforcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re very unsafe places and we\u2019re going to straighten them out one by one,\u201d he said, adding that it would be a \u201ca major part for some of the people in this room\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a war from within. Controlling the physical territory of our borders is essential for national security. We can\u2019t let these people in,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker accused Trump of using military troops and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to \u201cinvade and disrupt\u201d US cities.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur troops and our nation deserve better than you acting as a petty tyrant,\u201d he said in a post on X.<\/p>\n

Security was extremely tight for the address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, a sprawling 55,000-acre facility in Virginia. The summit represented a rare gathering of so many senior personnel in one place.<\/p>\n

Generals and admirals stationed around the world listened silently to the two men\u2019s remarks.<\/p>\n

The event began with an address from Hegseth, who announced that the US military will require combatants to meet the \u201chighest male standard\u201d in physical fitness tests.<\/p>\n

Hegseth acknowledged that the move may exclude some women from serving.<\/p>\n

\u201cStandards must be uniform, gender neutral, and high,\u201d Hegseth told the crowd.<\/p>\n

Hegseth outlined his vision for a cultural shift at the Pentagon and a greater \u201cwarrior ethos\u201d. He was echoed by Trump, who spoke afterwards.<\/p>\n

His speech focused on the culture of the US military, training, leadership, and \u201cfixing decades of decay\u201d, including DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programmes and the promotion of a \u201crisk-averse\u201d officer corps.<\/p>\n

He said those officers had been unnerved by \u201cclimate change distractions\u201d, \u201cwoke garbage\u201d and fears of being labelled as \u201ctoxic\u201d leaders.<\/p>\n

As well as announcing changes to fitness standards, Hegseth vowed an end to the \u201cera of unprofessional appearances\u201d \u2013 including beard exemptions \u2013 and to anonymous complaints procedures, as part of wider departmental changes.<\/p>\n

He also addressed his previous firing of senior commanders, saying that he went with \u201chis gut\u201d and rid the military of those he believed would not shift away from policies set in previous administrations.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore leadership changes will be made, I\u2019m certain,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

No official reason was publicly provided when the generals were summoned at short notice last week, prompting a flurry of speculation around what Trump and Hegseth would say.<\/p>\n

Speaking about Hegseth\u2019s reforms, Trump said that a focus on \u201cfitness, ability and character\u201d is not to \u201cprotect anyone\u2019s feelings\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s to protect our country. We will not be politically correct when it comes to defending American freedom,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The president also applauded his move to rebrand the Defence Department as the Department of War.<\/p>\n

He said the secondary title for the Pentagon was \u201cso popular\u201d, even among his detractors, and contributed to what he has repeatedly claimed are skyrocketing recruitment figures.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a historic re-assertion of our purpose, our identity and our pride,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

There was very little visible or audible reaction from the assembled generals and senior enlisted personnel in the audience, which was mostly silent except for the sound of hundreds of boots snapping to attention as he took the stage and stepped off. Many took notes in some military field notebooks as Hegseth spoke.<\/p>\n

Trump took the stage afterwards, joking: \u201cI\u2019ve never walked into a room so silent before.\u201d<\/p>\n

He went on to remark: \u201cTogether, we\u2019re reawakening the warrior spirit. And this is a spirit that won and built this nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a wide-ranging address, the US president went on to tout the achievements of the American military \u2013 and his own second presidency.<\/p>\n

He remarked that he had \u201csettled\u201d seven wars, and hoped for an eighth \u2013 if Hamas accepted the proposal for Gaza that he had put forward with Israel.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the event, US Vice-President JD Vance had accused the media of turning the meeting into a \u201cbig story\u201d, stressing that it was \u201cnot particularly unusual\u201d for Hegseth\u2019s generals to meet him in person.<\/p>\n

Some observers disagreed. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, an Italian admiral who serves as the chair of the Nato Military Committee, was quoted by the AP news agency as saying: \u201cAs far as my 49 years of service, I\u2019ve never seen that before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank told Reuters: \u201cIt is mystifying why this was not done virtually so that senior officers don\u2019t have to spend a lot of time travelling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Explaining the purpose of the meeting in advance, Trump told NBC News it would be an exercise in generating some \u201cesprit de corps\u201d \u2013 suggesting that he saw an opportunity to galvanise his troops.<\/p>\n

The attendees reportedly included officers drawn from military installations as far as Europe, South Korea and the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Many of them arrived hours before the event, and were seated in the auditorium according to their branch of service \u2013 Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force, easily distinguishable by uniforms.<\/p>\n

Some wore campaign medals showing they had served in Afghanistan, Iraq or the wider American war on terror that was launched following the September 11 attacks in 2001.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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