Trump says that American cities should be “training fields” so that the military fights an “invasion of the interior” during the unusual speech to the generals

Addressing an audience of military brassops suddenly summoned in Virginia, Trump stressed a muscular and sometimes overwhelming vision of the role of soldiers in domestic affairs. He was joined by the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, who declared the end of the “awake” culture and announced new troop directives which include “non -sexist” or “male” standards for physical form.

The double messages highlighted the efforts of the Trump administration not only to reshape the contemporary culture of the Pentagon, but also to recruit military resources for the president’s priorities and the resolutely domestic ends, in particular the reduction of disorders and violent crimes.

“We have to use some of these dangerous cities as training ground for our soldiers,” said Trump. He noted at another moment: “We are under invasion of the interior. Not different from a foreign enemy but more difficult in many ways because they do not wear uniforms. ”

Hegseth called hundreds of military leaders and their best advisers from around the world at the base of the Marine Corps in Quantico without publicly revealing the reason. His address has largely focused on long -term discussion points that painted an image of a soldier who was paralyzed by “awakened” policies, and he said that military leaders should “do the honorable thing and resign” if they do not like his new approach.

Although meetings between military brass and civil leaders are not new, this gathering had fueled intense speculation on its objective given the haste with which it was called and the mystery that surrounds it. The fact that admirals and generals of conflict zones were summoned for a conference on race and sex in the army has shown to what extent the country’s cultural wars have become an element of the agenda of national security around the world.

‘We will not be politically correct’

Trump is used to noisy crowds of supporters who laugh with his jokes and applaud his boastful. But he did not get this kind of soundtrack of the military leaders present.

In accordance with the non -partisan tradition of armed services, the military leaders were mainly seated in politicized remarks of Trump, a contrast compared to the moment when the basic soldiers applauded during Trump’s speech at Fort Bragg this summer.

Trump encouraged the public at the start of his speech to applaud as they wanted. He then added: “If you don’t like what I say, you can leave the room – of course, there is your rank, there is your future.” Some in the crowd laughed.

Before Trump went on stage, Hegseth said in his almost an hour speech that the soldiers had promoted too many leaders for bad reasons, on the basis of the race, gender quotas and “first historical”.

“The era of politically correct leadership, too sensitive, not to be upset, ends at the moment,” said Hegseth.

This has been taken up by Trump: “America’s objectives are not to protect the feelings of anyone. It is to protect our Republic.”

“We will not be politically correct in defense of American freedom,” said Trump.

Senator Jack Reed, the best democrat of the Senate Armed Services Committee, described the “renowned and costly management” meeting by the Trump administration.

“Even more disturbing was Mr. Hegseth’s ultimatum to America’s superior officers: in accordance with his political vision of the world or withdraw,” said Reed in a statement, calling it “deeply dangerous” demand.

The use by Trump of the army on American soil

Trump has already tested the limits of a federal law of almost 150 years, the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the role of the army in the application of internal laws.

He sent navies of the National Guard and to active service to Los Angeles, threatened to do the same to fight against crime and illegal immigration to other cities led by Democrats, including Portland and Chicago, and increased troops on the American-Mexican border.

The members of the National Guard are generally exempt from the law because they are under the authority of the State and controlled by the governors.

But the law applies to them when they are “federalized” and have put under the control of the president, as happened in Los Angeles on the objections of the Democratic Governor.

Trump said the armed forces should also focus on the Western hemisphere, boasting of making military strikes on boats in the Caribbean which, according to targeted drug traffickers.

Loosen the disciplinary rules

Hegseth said that he softens disciplinary rules and weakens the protections of hazing, focusing on the abolition of many railings that the soldiers had set up after many scandals and investigations.

He also declared that he commanded an examination of the “Definitions of the Ministry of So-called toxic leadership, intimidation and hazing to allow managers to enforce the standards without fear of remuneration or second riddle.”

He called for changes to “allow leaders with unpaid, serious or minor offenses not to be burdened by these perpetuity offenses”.

“People make honest mistakes and our mistakes should not define an entire career,” said Hegseth.

The intimidation and toxic leadership have been the causes suspected and confirmed behind numerous military suicides in recent years, including Brandon Caseta, a young sailor who has been the victim of intimidation to commit suicide in 2018.

An investigation by the navy revealed that “the belligerent, vulgarity, vulgarity and impetuous leadership of the Caserta supervisor have probably been a significant contributing factor in the decision of (the sailor) to end his own life”.

Non -sexist physical standards

Hegseth used the platform to slam environmental policies and transgender troops while discussing “the ethics of warriors”.

The Pentagon was informed of the previous administrations that “our diversity is our strength,” said Hegseth, calling that a “crazy error”.

Hegseth said that it was not a question of preventing women from serving.

“But with regard to any work that requires physical power to occur in combat, these physical standards must be high and neutral gender,” he said. “If women can make it excellent, otherwise, that’s what it is. If this means that no woman qualifies for certain combat jobs, that it is therefore not the intention, but it could be the result. ”

Senator Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican who served during the war in Iraq, said Hegseth was “appropriate” by suggesting that women should meet certain army standards.

“I am not worried about it,” said Ernst. “There should be the same set of standards for combat arms. I think that is what he was probably referring to. ”

But Janessa Goldbeck, who served in the Marines and is now CEO of the Vet Voice Foundation, said that Hegseth’s speech was more on “Stoking Grief than strengthening strength”.

Hegseth “has a comic book idea from the 1980s of tenacity that he never exceeded,” she said. “Instead of focusing on what really improves preparation for forces, he continues to waste time and dollars of taxpayers on the cultural theaters of war.”

Hegseth’s speech came while the country faces a potential government closure this week and as it has taken several unusual and unexplained actions, in particular by ordering cuts to the number of general officers and dismissals of other high -level military leaders.

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Finley and Toropin reported Washington. The editors of the Associated Press Eric Tucker, Chris Megerian, Adriana Gomez Licon, Ali Swenson and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.