On Tuesday, President Donald Trump indicated a readiness to increase the deployment of the military in U.S. cities led by Democrats, cautioning against a “war from within” and drawing parallels between internal dangers and external adversaries.
He declared, “The places run by the radical left Democrats… what they’ve done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, they’re extremely unsafe locations. We are going to fix them one by one. And this will be a crucial role for some of the individuals in this room.” He continued, “That’s also a war. It’s a war from within.”
These remarks by Trump were made during an address to nearly 800 generals, admirals, and high-ranking enlisted advisors. These officers had been summoned at short notice from various global locations to a military installation in Quantico, Virginia, under instructions from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Although the president was not originally slated to participate in the assembly, he mentioned prior to the event that he chose to attend to discuss “our strong military performance.”
During a highly political speech, the president voiced criticism of his predecessor, Joe Biden, denounced “radical left lunatics,” and declared his intention to deploy the military more often throughout the United States.
Trump suggested, “We ought to utilize some of the perilous cities as training areas” for the military. He further stated that he has instructed the formation of military “quick reaction forces” to “assist in suppressing civil unrest.” However, the deployment of military personnel for civilian law enforcement duties would contravene the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.
He asserted, “We are facing an internal invasion,” which he described as “no different from a foreign adversary, yet more challenging in numerous respects, because they lack uniforms.”
Trump’s intensified actions in U.S. cities
The gathering takes place amid growing unease concerning Trump’s increased deployment of the military for domestic objectives in his second term. Over recent months, he has dispatched troops to urban areas nationwide, fueling apprehension about the suppression of dissent.
Trump announced on Saturday that he had authorized federal action to “protect” Portland, Oregon, further stating that he was permitting “full force, if necessary.”
In June, Trump deployed federal agents to suppress immigration protests—a measure subsequently ruled as illegal. Then, in August, he mobilized federal personnel, and nationalized the police force, ostensibly to fight crime, even though crime rates had been decreasing in recent years.
This also occurs as the Trump Administration embarks on a broad crackdown against what it terms “left-wing terrorism” following the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. This initiative has involved officially labeling Antifa a terrorist organization and instructing federal agencies to investigate and interfere with their operations.
Throughout his address, Trump consistently attempted to rationalize his stringent actions against those he considered his internal adversaries.
He stated, “Our history is rich with military heroes who confronted all enemies, both foreign and domestic. That is what the oath of service mandates, foreign and domestic.”
He further remarked, “Many of our past leaders utilized the military to maintain peace. Now they prefer to assert, ‘Oh, you are not permitted to use the military.'”
As Trump commenced his speech, none of the hundreds of commanding officers applauded, adhering to a long-standing custom of refraining from applauding political figures to emphasize the military’s distinction from American politics. Trump commented that he had never entered such a silent room. He told the officers, “If you wish to applaud, you may. If you disagree with my statements, you are welcome to depart—naturally, that would cost you your rank and your prospects. Just feel comfortable and relaxed, alright, because we are all united.”
Trump also leveraged the address to criticize his political adversaries.
Trump claimed, “Biden allowed individuals from prisons, mental health facilities, drug dealers, and murderers to enter the country. They did not show you respect. They are Democrats; they never do,” he supplemented.
He asserted, “You will never witness another four years like those we experienced under Biden and a collection of inept individuals who governed this nation.”
Trump has faced censure previously for injecting politics into the military. In June, he gave a highly partisan speech to uniformed soldiers at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where he urged the audience to boo Biden and assailed “radical left lunatic” politicians.
Hegseth’s updated policies
Before Trump’s appearance, Hegseth detailed several new military policies and benchmarks consistent with Trump’s platform. He advocated for instituting a “highest male standard” for service members in combat roles, eliminating “woke garbage,” and advising generals to resign if they did not endorse his directives. This, he declared, signifies the conclusion of politically correct leadership.
Hegseth stated, “Imprudent and careless political leaders charted the incorrect course, and we strayed. We transformed into the ‘Woke Department.’ However, that era is now over.”
He remarked, “A whole generation of generals and admirals were instructed to repeat the absurd notion that our diversity constitutes our strength.”
Hegseth made reference to over a dozen senior generals he dismissed early in his term as Secretary of Defense, a significant number of whom were individuals of color and women.
He further stated that the Defense Department plans to conduct a “full review” of its bullying and hazing regulations to “enable leaders to uphold standards without concern for reprisal or questioning,” contending that the definition of hazing has been “exploited” to undermine commanders.
He concluded, “If that renders me toxic, then so be it.”
Hegseth detailed rigorous physical fitness and uniform standards, noting these were not designed to preclude women from service, but that such an outcome “could be the consequence.”
He added, “If women are capable of meeting these standards exceptionally, that’s excellent; if not, then it is what it is.”
