WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that the military would play a central role in his planned crackdowns on Democratic-run cities, describing crime and immigration as part of a “war from within” in a combative speech to top American military officers.
Speaking in Quantico, Virginia, before generals and admirals gathered for a rare meeting called by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump said he had signed an order establishing a quick reaction force to quell civil disturbances.
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“We’re going to straighten them out one by one, and this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That’s a war too – it’s a war from within,” Trump said, standing before a large American flag.
The president said the rapid-response force was needed to deal with “the enemy from within” before the situation “gets out of control.”
Although he opened with remarks about the military “reawakening the warrior spirit,” Trump devoted much of the hour-long address to politics, attacking the media as “sleazebags” and denouncing Democratic leadership in major cities.
Hegseth targets ‘decay’ in ranks
Defence Secretary Hegseth, a former Fox News host appointed by Trump, told the assembled officers that the military must overcome “decades of decay.” He ordered troops to meet stricter physical and grooming standards, including mandatory twice-yearly fitness tests.
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“It is completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon,” Hegseth said, adding that those unwilling to shave their beards should “join special forces” instead.
The defense chief, who has rebranded the Pentagon as the Department of War, said the armed forces would no longer be distracted by what he called “ideological garbage,” listing climate change, race-based promotions and anti-bullying initiatives as examples.
Domestic deployments, overseas strikes
The remarks came as Trump continues to expand military deployments inside the United States, with troops sent to Los Angeles and Washington, and deployments planned for Portland and Memphis.
He has also ordered controversial lethal strikes on alleged drug-running vessels in the Caribbean, as well as operations against Iranian nuclear sites and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Trump, who has dismissed several senior officers since starting his second term in January, recently fired Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown and removed the heads of the Navy, Coast Guard, National Security Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency, among others.
Hegseth defended the sweeping changes, saying it was “nearly impossible to change a culture with the same people who helped create – or benefited from – that culture.”
The speeches underscored Trump’s increasingly hard-line approach to both domestic and military policy, with the president making clear he intends to involve the armed forces directly in enforcing order in Democratic strongholds.