US President Donald Trump said that the upcoming meeting of Defense Secretary Pete Hegsett with US generals and admirals in Virginia on September 30 is aimed at boosting their morale.
“I want to tell the generals that we love them, that they are respected leaders and that they need to be strong, tough, smart and compassionate“, the US leader said in an interview with Reuters, confirming that he would also attend the meeting. “That's the point - the spirit of military unity. It's time someone did it," he added.
Earlier, The Washington Post, citing sources, reported that Hegseth, without explanation, had summoned hundreds of American generals and admirals to a meeting at the US Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, scheduled for September 30. The newspaper's sources specified that even key military leaders did not know "the reason for the meeting". As the publication emphasized, the minister's move "caused confusion and alarm" in light of the previous dismissal of several key Pentagon officials by the Washington administration. As one source noted, "People are very worried; they have absolutely no idea what this means."
Since taking office, Hegseth has already ordered the dismissal of several generals, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown. Former Pentagon press secretary John Elliott published an article in Politico on April 20, claiming that the department is in “complete chaos” caused by data leak scandals and layoffs.