WASHINGTON, DC – The Truman National Security Project is deeply concerned following a meeting at Marine Corps Base Quantico where President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth instructed hundreds of U.S. generals and admirals to resign if they disagreed with the administration’s partisan policies. America’s military exists to defend the Constitution, not to serve as a political weapon. What we witnessed today was not leadership, but political theater that erodes trust, undermines readiness, and threatens the core democratic principles our service members swear to uphold.

This unprecedented gathering assembled the majority of U.S. military leadership – ignoring the security risks of doing so. It marked the administration’s formal rebranding of the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” without Congressional concurrence or approval, and included directives that undermine the military’s apolitical foundation. 

Secretary Hegseth attacked “woke culture” in the ranks, mocked senior officers regarding their fitness, and again, urged resignations from those unwilling to embrace his directives. He also announced plans to roll back safeguards against toxic leadership, bullying, and harassment — protections designed to strengthen military readiness and protect service members from abuse. The Secretary’s hyperfocus on physical fitness and outward appearances is distracting the Department from its rightful focus on deterring adversaries and supporting allies and partners around the globe.

President Trump’s assertion in the same meeting that the military will be used to “quell civil disturbances” to handle the “enemy within” in U.S. cities is dangerous and unconstitutional. It places military members in the untenable and illegal position of policing citizens.  Especially concerning is the President’s plan to use U.S. cities as a “training ground” for our military. Our cities are not training grounds, and our citizens and residents are not training assets for military operations. 

Today’s meeting carries several direct implications for U.S. national security:

• Politicizing the armed forces; this fractures the trust between military leaders and civilian oversight, which in turn weakens America’s ability to project stability abroad–a dangerous message to our adversaries.
  
  
• Alarming allies who rely on the U.S. as a dependable partner; allies now have cause to further question our commitment to democratic norms, which damages coalitions essential to countering Russia, China, and other threats.
  
  
• Rolling back protections against harassment and toxic leadership; this undermines morale and could drive talented service members from the force. Meanwhile, arbitrarily demanding the highest, male, age normed standard for combat fitness tests may force those out of the service who offer critical strategic and technical skills essential to evolving our modern force structure.
  
  
• Focusing on the culture war instead of our adversaries and force modernization; We need defense leaders empowered to focus on cyber defense, climate security, and modern conflict, or we risk leaving the U.S. dangerously unprepared for emerging threats.
  
  

U.S. national security depends on innovation, alliances, and resilience, not politicized directives. Real security means preparing for modern threats, not staging political spectacles. America’s strength has always come from our values — justice, accountability, and unity. We must not allow illegal, partisan agendas to compromise the readiness, integrity, and constitutional oaths of our service members.

The Truman National Security Project is a nationwide community of diverse national security leaders working to develop strong, smart, and principled solutions to the most pressing national security challenges facing our nation.

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