Military Leaders Uneasy About Trump DoD's New Direction

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Military leaders have raised serious concerns about the Trump administration's forthcoming defense strategy, exposing a divide between the Pentagon's political and uniformed leadership as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summons top brass to a highly unusual summit in Virginia on Tuesday, according to eight current and former officials.

Posted by jpw at 02:45 PM | 7 COMMENTS | permalink

Comments

I for one am shocked that men who've spent their lives defending and following the Constitution would take offense to a POTUS openly declaring American cities and citizens military targets.

Problem is, it will all depend on how the rank and file feel about it. These guys can be sidelined. But if large numbers of troops refuse to go along it's a whole different ball game.

#1 | Posted by jpw at 2025-09-30 02:46 PM

"Could have been an email': Officials balk at Hegseth's generals meeting

The last-minute gathering featured hundreds of senior military officials, who swear an oath to the Constitution, attending something more akin to a campaign rally."

""Not quite a loyalty test, but ... on the spectrum of loyalty to ideology," said a second defense official. "Total waste of money."

"Its a waste of time for a lot of people who emphatically had better things they could and should be doing," said a former senior defense official.

"It's also an inexcusable strategic risk to concentrate so many leaders in the operational chain of command in the same publicly known time and place, to convey an inane message of little merit."

www.politico.com

#2 | Posted by Corky at 2025-09-30 04:01 PM

Speaking at a high-profile summit with top US military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on Tuesday morning, Trump said battleships are on the table. "It's something we're actually considering," he said, "the concept of battleship, nice six-inch side, solid steel, not aluminum, aluminum that melts if it looks at a missile coming at it. Starts melting as the missile's about two miles away. No, those ships, they don't make them that way anymore."

Innovative thinking from the CiC.

#3 | Posted by REDIAL at 2025-09-30 04:11 PM

Innovative thinking from the CiC.
#3 | Posted by REDIAL

I can't believe there are still people who admit to voting for that clown.

#4 | Posted by jpw at 2025-09-30 04:26 PM

"It's also an inexcusable strategic risk to concentrate so many leaders in the operational chain of command in the same publicly known time and place, to convey an inane message of little merit."

The US was lucky that nothing terrible happened during this idiotic convention. Our adversaries had mercy on us.

AI estimates this boondoggle cost the American taxpayer $6m.

BTW: Generals, admirals, SGMs, and CPOS are human! In their limited off-time, they enjoy watching playing golf or tennis or watching football and baseball, like other Americans: www.sportphotogallery.com

They also like being with their families: api.army.mil

I don't think these flag officers enjoyed losing their weekend time coming to Virginia from EUCOM, AFRICOM, CENTCOM Forward, and PACOM to listen to a drunkard's drivel.

#5 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2025-09-30 04:37 PM

If they are 'uneasy' with getting the US military back on track to be an actual effective military, then I question that they are 'leaders'. More like dem political animals which is just what our military does not need.

#6 | Posted by MSgt at 2025-09-30 04:39 PM

@#6 ... If they are 'uneasy' with getting the US military back on track to be an actual effective military ...

Is that the actual cause of their "uneasiness" or might the actual cause be the apparent need to pledge allegiance to Pres Trump instead of the Constitution?

I admit that I do not know the answer to that question.

What say ye?

#7 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-09-30 07:20 PM

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