Overview

• At a short‑notice gathering of roughly 800 generals and admirals at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump announced a pivot to a revived "warrior ethos."
• Hegseth said all equality and anti‑discrimination programs will be rolled back and denounced promotions based on race or gender as "ideological rubbish."
• New standards outlined include applying the highest male fitness benchmarks for combat roles, stricter weight testing, bans on beards and tighter appearance rules, with Hegseth stating some women may no longer qualify for certain jobs.
• The event followed months of senior dismissals and plans to cut at least 20% of four‑star billets, fueling unease inside the force over politicization, costs and the prospect of further purges.
• Trump backed the shift as reawakening the "warrior spirit" and has ordered domestic deployments such as the National Guard in Portland, moves that have prompted legal challenges and broader public criticism, including Nazi‑era analogies from retired officers.