Watch Live: Trump addresses generals after Hegseth rails against “woke”

Mr. Trump told military leaders that the armed forces under his administration “will not be politically correct” when it comes to American freedom and pledged it will be a “fighting and winning machine.”

“We’re bringing back a focus on fitness, ability, character and strength, and that’s because the purpose of the American military is not to protect anyone’s feelings. It’s to protect our republic,” he said.

The president said he has committed to spending more than $1 trillion on the military in 2026.

“That’s a lot of money. I hope you like it,” he told the assembled military leaders. For the 2025 fiscal year, the U.S. approved a budget of $895 billion for defense spending. 

Mr. Trump also said his administration will be expanding the U.S. Navy by 19 ships, including submarines, destroyers and assault ships. But he said he does not like the look of some of the vessels, adding “an ugly ship is not necessary.”

Mr. Trump talked about signing promotion papers for generals or admirals, and attacked his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, for allegedly using an autopen. He also said that he advocated for “gorgeous paper” to be used when submitting senior officers for promotions. 

“As leaders, our commitment to every patriot who puts on the uniform is to ensure that the American military remains the most lethal and dominant on the planet,” he said.

The autopen was one of several topics that Mr. Trump veered into during his remarks to generals and admirals. The president also discussed the Nobel Peace Prize, peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas and his love of tariffs. 

The president said the change in the Pentagon’s name reflects “far more than the shift in branding,” and is instead a “historic reassertion of our purpose and our identity and our pride.”

Mr. Trump then said the U.S. has “extreme strength” that has allowed his administration to engage in negotiations with the goal of ending the conflicts between Israel and Hamas and Ukraine and Russia.

“Together, we’re re-awakening the warrior spirit,” he said, adding “I am with you. I support you, and as president, I have your backs 100%. You’ll never see me even waver a little bit.”

Mr. Trump started his speech by encouraging the military leaders who were assembled at the meeting that they are free to applaud or even leave the room if they disagree with his comments. But he added that if they leave the room, “there goes your rank, there goes your future.” 

He also slammed the Biden administration and joked that he expected more pushback to his directive changing the “Department of Defense” to the “Department of War.”

“There can be no higher honor than to serve as your commander-in-chief,” adding that the military leaders attending the meeting appear out of “central casting.”

Before departing the White House for his speech in Quantico, the president acknowledged that “there’s a little bit of expense” to convening all senior military leaders, but indicated it’s worth the cost.

“There’s a little expense to that. We don’t like to waste them. We’d rather spend it on bullets and rockets, frankly,” Mr. Trump said. “But this was the one time we had to do a great spiritizing. It’s going to be great. I’ve seen it already. We have every general, every admiral. We have great people. We have our real warriors over there”

The president told reporters that his administration will fire any officials who it does not believe are fit to serve.

“We had some real bad ones. I rebuilt the military, the entire military, but I had a couple,” he said.

Hegseth alleged that since the War Department’s name was changed in 1947, the U.S. has not won a “major theater war.” He credited former President Ronald Reagan’s military buildup for winning the 1991 Gulf War, which occurred under Reagan’s successor, former President George H.W. Bush. He also attributed that victory to military leaders who had previous “formative battlefield experience” during the Vietnam War. 

“They said ‘never again’ to mission creep or nebulous end states,” Hegseth said. “The same holds true today. Our civilian and military leadership is chock-full of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who say ‘never again’ to nation building and nebulous end states.”

He said “this clear-eyed view — all the way to the White House” and Mr. Trump’s “military buildup” would posture the U.S. for future victories.

“We embrace the War Department, and we must,” Hegseth said. “We are preparing everyday to win, not just to defend. Defense is something you do all the time. It’s inherently reactionary and can lead to overuse, overreach and mission creep.” 

The Defense secretary suggested that he welcomes a loosening of the rules of engagement.

“We also don’t fight with stupid rules of engagement,” he said. “We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country.”

Hegseth added: “No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement.”

The secretary likened the new standards for the military to President Trump’s global tariffs announced in April, which the president called “Liberation Day,” and said the directives Hegseth is rolling out marks the “liberation of America’s warriors, in name, indeed, and in authorities.”

“You kill people and break things for a living,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth said he wanted to recognize the “new proactive social media policies.” 

“Anonymous, online or keyboard complaining is not worthy of a warrior,” Hegseth said. “It’s cowardice masquerading his conscience. Anonymous, unit level social media pages that trash commanders, demoralize troops and undermine unit cohesion must not be tolerated.” 

Hegseth defended his decision to fire senior military officers soon after he was confirmed to lead the Pentagon.

“It’s nearly impossible to change a culture with the same people who helped create or even benefited from that culture,” he said.

But Hegseth said those fired senior leaders were “following elected political leadership.”

“An entire generation of generals and admirals were told that they must parrot the insane fallacy that ‘our diversity is our strength,'” Hegseth said.

He said the “new compass heading is clear: Out with the Chiarellis, the McKenzies and the Millies.”

Hegseth appears to be referencing former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, former U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Frank McKenzie and retired Gen. Peter Chiarelli, who served as the Army vice chief of staff.

Hegseth slammed the “toxic leaders” who he said are “endangering subordinates” by “promoting people based on immutable characteristics or quotas instead of based on merit.” 

“Real toxic leadership is promoting destructive ideologies that are an anathema to the Constitution and the laws of nature and nature’s God, as Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence,” Hegseth said. “The definition of toxic has been turned upside down, and we’re correcting that.” 

Hegseth said the Defense Department will be “undertaking a full review of the department’s definition of so-called toxic leadership, bullying and hazing, to empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second-guessing.” 

He added that “we’re talking about words like bullying and hazing and toxic,” which he said have been “weaponized and bastardized inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOS.” 

“If that makes me toxic, so be it,” he said.

He said leadership will be “merit based.” 

Hegseth said that he is issuing new policies to overhaul the Defense Department’s internal watchdog, its inspector general, as well as the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Military Equal Opportunity program.

He said he calls it the “no more walking on eggshells” policy. 

“We are liberating commanders and NCOs,” Hegseth said. “We are liberating you.”

Hegseth said senior military leaders need to end the “poisonous culture of risk aversion.”

“You must trust that the warrior alongside you in battle is capable, truly, physically capable of doing what is necessary under fire,” he said.

In addition to the physical requirements, Hegseth also said the shaving standards would be restored. 

“No more beardos, the era of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles are done,” adding that if someone “cannot pass a PT test or don’t want to shave and look professional, it’s time for a new position or a new profession.” 

“The era of unprofessional appearance is over,” Hegseth said. 

Hegseth said that he is rolling out 10 new Defense Department directives that involve physical fitness, new grooming requirements and a return to “the highest male standard” for combat positions.

“If you do not meet the male level physical standards for combat positions, cannot pass a PT test or don’t want to shave and look professional, it’s time for a new position or a new profession,” he said.

Hegseth said “it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops. Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the world. It’s a bad look.”

He said he doesn’t want his son serving with out-of-shape troops or alongside females who cannot meet the same combat arms physical standards as men.

“We must restore a ruthless, dispassionate and commonsense application of standards,” he said.

Although President Trump earlier this year signed an executive order renaming the Defense Department as the Department of War and Hegseth as Secretary of War, the name can only officially be changed by Congress. 

Hegseth went on to discuss the importance of a strong fighting force and said the Armed Forces need to be led by the most “capable and most qualified combat leaders.”

“Our warfighters are entitled to be led by the best and most capable leaders,” he said. “That is who we need you all to be.”

Hegseth said the Pentagon under his leadership is “ending the war on warriors,” and claimed that his predecessors have promoted leaders based on race, gender quotas and “historic so-called firsts.”

“We lost our way and we became the ‘woke’ department, but not anymore,” he said.

The secretary blamed “foolish and reckless politicians” for being focused on “the wrong things,” and said he aims to fix “decades of decay.”

After discussing the name change, Hegseth told the generals that “there is no time for games,” and said if we’re going to prevent and avoid war, we must prepare now.” 

“The time is now and the cause is urgent,” Hegseth said. 

Hegseth briefly outlined that the Defense Department will be restoring and refocusing the U.S.’ defense industrial base, the ship building industry and onshoring all critical components. 

Hegseth said he will be giving a speech next month to “showcase the speed innovations and general acquisition reforms we are undertaking urgently.” 

Tuesday’s speech, he said, is about “people, and it’s about culture.” 

Hegseth began his speech to senior military leaders by welcoming them to the War Department.

“The era of the Department of Defense is over,” he said.

He said the mission of the Pentagon is “warfighting: preparing for war and preparing to win, unrelenting and uncompromising in that pursuit,” Hegseth said.

President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are expected to address hundreds of generals and admirals Tuesday in Quantico, Virginia, in an unusual and urgent in-person meeting called by Hegseth last week. Hegseth is expected to speak at 8:15 a.m., ahead of Mr. Trump. 

The nation’s top military leaders from all over the world were summoned last week by Hegseth to travel to Virginia for a meeting with the defense secretary but were initially given no information about why. Two defense officials tell CBS News that Hegseth is expected to talk about the “warrior ethos.”

Senior military commanders meet regularly throughout the year in person, but a meeting of this magnitude with so little warning or indication about its purpose is rare, if not unprecedented. 

Hundreds of generals are assembling Tuesday as Hegseth prepares to dramatically reduce the number of top-level military leaders.

In May, Hegseth ordered a 10% reduction in the number of general officers and flag officers across the armed forces. Four-star generals and admirals are expected to be cut by 20%, according to a memo sent out by the defense secretary.

Hegseth described the goal as “removing redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership by reducing excess general and flag officer positions.”

In an interview with NBC News, the president said it would be “really just a very nice meeting talking about how well we’re doing militarily, talking about being in great shape, talking about a lot of good, positive things.”

“We have some great people coming in and it’s just an ‘esprit de corps,'” Mr. Trump said in the NBC News phone interview. “You know the expression ‘esprit de corps’? That’s all it’s about. We’re talking about what we’re doing, what they’re doing, and how we’re doing.”

The meeting is being held at the Marine Corps Museum, which is adjacent to Quantico Marine Corps base, located in Virginia, about 35 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. It houses around 28,000, and as of January 2024, about 6,000 were Marines and 11,000 were civilians, as well as 5,500 contractors and around the same number of students. 

For the past 30 years, since 1995, the Quantico base has also housed the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, which is tasked with conducting experiments in 21st-century warfare. The laboratory relies on war games and other experiments to come up with new tactics and technologies to improve the Marines’ war-fighting capabilities.