Andrew Harnik/AP
More than 800 members of the US military’s top brass, including hundreds of generals and admirals, gathered for an extraordinary meeting in Quantico, Virginia, on Tuesday, where they were greeted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s order to return to “the highest male standard” in military fitness tests and training exercises.
In the same breath, Hegseth disparaged women serving in the military, claiming they were physically incapable of meeting the same physical standards.
“I don’t want my son serving alongside troops who are out of shape or in combat units with females who can’t meet the same combat arms physical standards as men,” Hegseth said as the crowd remained virtually silent throughout the meeting. The former Fox weekend host included references to “woke garbage” and fat-shaming—”It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals”—before all but announcing an end to formal processes that allow military personnel to register complaints of abuse.
“We are overhauling an inspector general process that has been weaponized, putting complainers and poor performers in the driver’s seat,” he said. “We are doing the same with the equal opportunity policies. No more frivolous complaints, no more anonymous complaints.”
A similar silence greeted President Donald Trump as he aired a characteristically discursive speech that at turns featured self-praise for his decision to send the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, suggesting that such cities be used as “training grounds” for the military, misguided claims that he ended eight world wars, love for his own signature, and comparisons of “nuclear” power to the “n-word.”
Together, the dual speeches appeared to confirm suspicions leading up to Tuesday’s meeting that the country’s top military commanders were being forced from their posts around the world in order to attend what essentially boiled down to a MAGA pep rally—absent the cheering crowds.
