QUANTICO, Virginia – Hundreds of America’s generals and admirals flew from around the world on just a few days’ notice for a meeting. Now, they stood as their Commander-in-Chief took the lectern, there to give them their orders of excellence.
Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered senior military leadership to meet in Quantico, though the topic of the meeting was unknown. Today, those leaders filed into Quantico Marine Base, leaving the Warner Hall at full capacity. The event consisted of remarks by Hegseth and President Donald Trump, the latter of whom stood at a lectern with a giant American flag hung behind him. (RELATED: Hegseth Mocks Ex-General Comparing Meeting Of Generals To Nazi Loyalty Test)
As the event kicked off, it became clear that Hegseth and Trump were there to set the tone for America’s military, to reemphasize their standards and to ensure the warriors that they had their backs.
“My message to you is very simple: I am with you, I support you and as President I have your backs 100%. You’ll never see me waver not even a little bit,” the president said to military leadership. He earlier encouraged the silent, polite crowd to laugh, cheer or even walk out while he spoke.
No military personnel walked out during the speech, but the president, in his approximately 71 minutes of remarks, did receive laughter as he joked about never receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and Biden and his autopen.
QUANTICO, VA— Trump gets some laughs from senior military leadership as he discusses Biden using the autopen on his end of term pardons… of course, minus the pardon of his son Hunter, which Trump also mentions.
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) September 30, 2025
QUANTICO, VA — Military generals and admirals gather at the Quantico Marine Base, awaiting President Trump’s address to them.
Here for @DailyCaller: pic.twitter.com/jsqDkqp5Bh
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) September 30, 2025
Trump spoke less about standard setting than Hegseth, who he followed in the program. The Secretary of War, who paced the stage throughout his remarks, announced new personnel fitness and grooming directives on Tuesday. Regardless of rank, Hegseth said members of the military will now be required to pass two fitness tests annually and must be able to match the highest combat standards previously expected only of men.
.@SecWar Pete Hegseth FULL REMARKS at the WAR DEPARTMENT ADDRESS: pic.twitter.com/dbvmQg3FT6
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) September 30, 2025
“We are bringing back a focus on fitness, ability, character and strength. And that’s because the purposes of [the] American military is not to protect people’s feelings. It’s to protect our republic and it’s the republic that we dearly love …We’ll not be politically correct when it comes to defending American freedom,” Trump said in similar vein to Hegseth’s remarks.
What the president emphasized was his pride in the military and the success they’ve had. Trump touted the military’s recruitment numbers, which he said will surpass 106% this month. The president also announced that the Marines are expected to hit their retention target.
Trump’s pride was backed up by his desire to protect his troops from what he called “political correctness.”
“We’re not going to have somebody taking your place for political reasons, because they are politically corrupt, and you’re not,” the president told leadership.
Throughout the speech, some military leadership pulled out notebooks and jotted down things the president was saying. Some others nodded and smiled, engaging with the president like he had encouraged them to do.
The president also gave insight into where his administration was seeking to take America’s forces. He teased future announcements on reforms to streamline military acquisitions and expedite foreign military sales. The president also said his administration would have further announcements on their renaming the department as the Department of War.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico on September 30, 2025 in Quantico, Virginia. In an unprecedented gathering, almost 800 generals, admirals and their senior enlisted leaders have been ordered into one location from around the world on short notice. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Above all, Trump expressed his confidence in the American military.
Discussing nuclear power, Trump also told military leadership that the American military is 25 years ahead of China and Russia when it comes to submarines. The president then disclosed that he had moved nuclear submarines near Russia after a small threat from the country.
He touted his administration’s drone strikes on drug cartels, telling the room that if you “poison our people, we will blow you out of existence.”
Threats aren’t just isolated to outside of the country, Trump warned, telling his military leadership that he would “never hesitate” to defend Americans from “threats of violence from the horrible plague that’s taking place from within.”
In typical Trump fashion, the president occasionally told stories and jokes throughout his address which concluded the once mysterious meeting.
While the military leadership never loosened up in quite the way the president asked them to, the reception to his message of strength and change appeared to be well received.
“We must be so strong that no nation will dare challenge us, so powerful that no enemy will dare threaten us and so capable that no adversary can even think about beating us,” Trump said, with the words “strength, service, America” written on the banner next to him.
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