Trump and Hegseth declare end to 'politically correct' leadership in U.S. military

Trump, Hegseth vow to end 'woke' military leadership

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday declared an end to "woke" culture in the military and criticized policies of past administrations before hundreds of top U.S. military officials summoned to Virginia from around the world.

QUANTICO, Va. - President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday declared an end to "woke" culture in the military and criticized policies of past administrations before hundreds of top U.S. military officials summoned to Virginia from around the world.

Hegseth announced new directives for troops, including "gender-neutral" or "male-level" physical fitness standards, while Trump touted U.S. nuclear capabilities and said the nation’s "dangerous cities" should serve as "training grounds for our military."

What we know:

Hegseth called military leaders to the Marine Corps base in Quantico, near Washington, without publicly revealing the reason until Tuesday morning. His address largely echoed long-standing talking points portraying the military as hamstrung by "woke" policies. He said leaders should "do the honorable thing and resign" if they oppose his new approach.

Meetings between top military brass and civilian leaders are common, but the gathering fueled speculation about its purpose and the mystery surrounding it.

Admirals and generals from conflict zones in the Middle East and beyond were summoned for a lecture on race and gender in the military, underscoring how culture wars have become a central focus for Hegseth’s Pentagon, even amid global national security concerns.

The president also warned that America is "under invasion from within."

What they're saying:

"After spending trillions of dollars defending the borders of foreign countries, with your help we're defending the borders of our country," Trump said.

Trump is accustomed to boisterous crowds that laugh at his jokes and applaud his boasts during speeches. But he didn’t get that kind of response from the generals and admirals in attendance.

In keeping with the armed services’ nonpartisan tradition, military leaders sat mostly stone-faced through Trump’s politicized remarks, a contrast to the cheers from rank-and-file troops during his speech at Fort Bragg this summer.

During his nearly hour-long speech, Hegseth said the U.S. military has promoted too many leaders for the wrong reasons, citing race, gender quotas and "historic firsts."

"The era of politically correct, overly sensitive don't-hurt-anyone's-feelings leadership ends right now at every level," Hegseth said.

That was echoed by Trump, who said the purpose of the U.S. military is not to protect anyone’s feelings, but to protect the republic.

The speeches came as the country faces a potential government shutdown on Wednesday.

Quantico meeting set for Tuesday

President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plan to address hundreds of U.S. military officials in person Tuesday, after the Pentagon asked top commanders from around the world to meet at a Virginia Marine Corps base in Quantico without publicly disclosing the reason.

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