Hegseth denounces diversity focus at unusual gathering of military brass

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By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assailed what he called “decades of decay” caused by policies promoting diversity and inclusion in the U.S. military at an unprecedented gathering of military leaders near Washington on Tuesday.

“Foolish and reckless political leaders set the wrong compass heading and we lost our way. We became the ‘Woke Department,'” Hegseth said as he kicked off the event in Quantico, Virginia.

“But not anymore,” he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump was due to address the room full of America’s top generals and admirals from around the world later on Tuesday after they were summoned without explanation last week.

TRUMP SAYS OF COMMANDERS, ‘WE LOVE THEM’

Trump has said he will use the face-to-face meeting with the U.S. military’s top commanders at the Marine Corps University in Quantico to tell them “we love them.” 

The auditorium was filled with senior uniformed officials, seated in front of a stage with a large American flag, a lectern and boards that read: “Strength Service America.”

Hegseth criticized the look of overweight troops, saying: “It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon.”

He said all fitness tests would be set to male benchmarks only and emphasized the importance of grooming standards.

“The era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beardos,” Hegseth told the audience, which sat in silence.

REVAMP OF DEFENSE PRIORITIES?

The Pentagon has undergone eight months of blistering since Trump took office, including firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Navy’s top admiral, banning books from academy libraries and ordering lethal strikes on suspected drug boats off Venezuela.

That has led to speculation, both within the U.S. military and in the broader American public, that the gathering could go far beyond the morale-boosting exercise described by Trump to include discussions about reductions in senior officers’ ranks and a revamp of U.S. defense priorities.

“It’s anyone’s guess” what will ultimately be discussed, said one U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity about the agenda of the gathering.

Military leaders attending the gathering will be under public scrutiny for any reaction to overtly political comments made by Trump, who has often dragged the military into political issues. 

U.S. MILITARY MEANT TO BE APOLITICAL

The U.S. military is meant to be apolitical, loyal to the U.S. Constitution and independent of any party or political movement.

The administration has announced a plan to send National Guard deployments to Chicago, the latest U.S. city where Trump aims to deploy U.S. troops despite objections from local authorities. 

He announced plans to send National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, over the weekend and sent Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles earlier this year, despite protests from local officials.

Speaking to Reuters on Sunday, Trump described the Quantico meeting as an “esprit de corps.”

“I want to tell the generals that we love them, they’re cherished leaders, to be strong, be tough and be smart and be compassionate,” Trump said in an interview.

Trump’s attendance is likely to overshadow Hegseth, who summoned the commanders from around the world, including those based in distant locations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

In almost every public speech he gives, Hegseth talks about the “warrior ethos” and the need for the U.S. military to have a warrior mentality, themes he is expected to return to on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order to rename the Department of Defense the “Department of War,” reverting to a title it held until after World War Two when officials sought to emphasize the Pentagon’s role in preventing conflict.

Hegseth, a former Fox News television host, has moved with stunning speed to reshape and rebrand the department as he seeks to implement Trump’s national security agenda and root out diversity initiatives he calls discriminatory.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Ros Russell and Howard Goller)