Trump and Hegseth target military generals in Quantico speech
President-elect Donald Trump and his nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, delivered a joint speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico, where they accused top military generals of disloyalty and ideological bias. The event highlighted Trump's plans to reshape the Pentagon's leadership. Critics warned of potential politicization of the armed forces.
On September 15, 2025, at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, President-elect Donald Trump addressed a crowd of military personnel and supporters alongside Pete Hegseth, his pick for secretary of defense. Trump opened the speech by criticizing what he called 'woke generals' who he claimed undermined the military during his first term and the Biden administration. 'These generals turned our great military into a social experiment,' Trump said, according to reports from The Nation. He specifically named retired General Mark Milley, accusing him of treasonous actions for allegedly hiding documents from Congress.
Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer and Fox News host, introduced Trump and echoed the sentiments. 'The moral rot in our military leadership must end,' Hegseth stated in the speech, as covered by Slate. He advocated for purging officers perceived as politically incorrect, drawing from his book 'The War on Warriors,' which argues that diversity initiatives have weakened combat readiness. Hegseth praised Trump's vision for a 'warrior ethos' focused on lethality over inclusivity.
The event comes amid Trump's transition preparations, following his November 2024 election victory. Sources indicate Trump plans to use executive authority to dismiss up to 60 senior officers upon taking office in January 2025. Background context includes Hegseth's controversial nomination, facing Senate scrutiny over past allegations of misconduct, though no charges were filed. During the Biden era, the military emphasized diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, which Trump and Hegseth have vowed to dismantle.
Reactions were swift. Democratic Senator Jack Reed, ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, called the speech 'dangerous demagoguery' that erodes civilian-military relations. A spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff declined comment, citing active transition protocols. Military analysts, quoted in Slate, expressed concerns over morale, noting that politicizing promotions could lead to resignations. One retired admiral told Slate, 'This isn't leadership; it's vengeance.'
No direct contradictions appeared across sources, though The Nation emphasized the 'shutdown' risks if confirmations stall, while Slate focused on the speech's implications for Trump's military overhaul. The Quantico address underscores Trump's intent to realign the Pentagon with his 'America First' agenda, potentially reshaping U.S. defense strategy.