(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed hundreds of military leaders Tuesday at a Marine base in Quantico, Virginia, in an unprecedented gathering described as the first “key leaders all-call.”
Hegseth slammed military standards during his address, calling for a full review of education and physical fitness standards, as well as the definitions of terms such as “hazing” and “toxic leadership.”
He focused on female troops serving in combat roles — some of whom he said can’t meet the same “combat-arms physical standards as men” — and swiped at “fat generals and admirals” who are currently leading combat units.
Trump touted his own accomplishments during his address, including upcoming investments in the U.S. military and peace deals made during his tenure.
Hegseth reportedly summoned all senior officers with the rank of brigadier general or above, their Navy equivalent and their top enlisted advisers. More than 800 generals and admirals stationed all over the world — and the U.S. president — were gathered together in person.
Democratic Sens. Tammy Duckworth, Ill., and Mazie Hirono, Hawaii, have expressed concerns over the potential security risks surrounding the event — and the cost of the meeting.
“For an administration obsessed with rooting out waste, this abrupt, time and resource-intensive meeting of our military’s top commanders … to reportedly hear you, the least qualified secretary of defense in living memory, lecture about military standards and warfighting is absurd,” a letter from the senators reads.
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