September 30, 2025 - 6:00pm
President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered odd speeches to an assembly of top military officers and non-commissioned officers today. The speeches, at a Marine Corps base just outside Washington, DC, had generated significant media attention. Physical gatherings of so many generals and admirals are highly unusual.
The most striking moment came from Trump’s apparent bewilderment at the silence of the assembled general officers. Upon entering the hall, he remarked that he had “never walked into a room so silent”. The comment highlights a deeper misunderstanding of US civil-military relations. Trump expects the military to publicly celebrate him, as he has witnessed with some junior enlisted personnel at previous speeches on military bases. He seems not to grasp that US servicemembers swear an oath to defend the Constitution first, and the president only second — within the bounds of his constitutional authority as commander-in-chief. From the first day of training to the day they leave service, personnel are taught to avoid even the appearance of partisan displays.
Trump has consistently struggled to grasp this dynamic. In 2020, during his first term, he drew then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley into a partisan display outside the White House. Milley later rightly apologised for participating in a political event, but his subsequent, frequent leaks to the media strained civil-military relations and undermined Trump’s confidence in military leadership. Today, current Chairman Gen. Dan Caine has taken a more measured approach, carefully cultivating a healthier relationship with both Trump and Hegseth. He avoids entanglement in overtly partisan theatrics while also limiting media interactions that could erode the president’s trust.
Trump’s speech was often rambling. He did underscore the importance of leading a unified team capable of deterring enemies and winning wars, highlighting his recent public order on strengthening nuclear deterrence against Russia. Yet much of the address veered into irrelevant domestic partisan politics. The assembled military officers were likely especially uncomfortable with Trump’s declaration that he plans to expand anti-crime-focused military operations within US cities.
Hegseth’s speech was markedly more performative. Striding across the stage with a constantly oscillating voice, he celebrated the administration’s elimination of DEI and climate change initiatives, declaring bluntly, “We are done with that shit.” He peppered his remarks with slang, referring to the enforcement of grooming standards to rid the military of “beardos”. Lacking humility, Hegseth repeatedly congratulated himself, offering none of the introspection that is central to effective leadership. He also fixated on his recent announcement renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War — a change that Congress has not authorised.
Hegseth was better when he emphasised higher physical fitness standards and less politicisation in promotion decisions. He correctly lamented how “fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon” set a bad example for their subordinates.
Ultimately, however, beyond signalling by Hegseth to those in the MAGA base who are concerned about wokeness in the military, it’s unclear why this assembly was necessary. “Odd” might well be the most accurate descriptor of the whole event.
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