Overview

• Nearly 800 generals and admirals were assembled at Marine Corps Base Quantico for a two-hour meeting widely described as political theater rather than a policy briefing.
• President Trump told officers that those who reject the new philosophy could leave, implying that loyalty to him would shape careers.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected diversity and equity initiatives, vowed clean‑shaven standards, and derided existing rules of combat while outlining no concrete reforms.
• Trump cast Democrat‑led cities as unsafe “training fields” for troops and referenced recent and possible Guard deployments, including a suggestion that Chicago could be next.
• Senior officers responded with reserved silence, and analysts and regional commentators warned of strain on apolitical norms and potential spillover to border security practices.