The Trump administration brought its culture war agenda to top US military brass in a summit on Tuesday, lecturing officers on fitness and grooming standards to instill a “warrior” ethos.
Hundreds of generals and admirals stationed around the world were summoned to the US to hear Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rail against “fat troops” and “woke” standards. The partisan remarks were met with a muted response from military officials who have “long prided themselves on being apolitical,” The Wall Street Journal noted. “Could have been an email,” one complained.
The gathering came amid a growing disconnect between the Pentagon’s uniformed and political leadership: Top officers have criticized Hegseth’s strategy to prioritize threats to the homeland instead of deterring China, The Washington Post reported.