Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during a War Department Address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Sept. 30, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aiko Bongolan)
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President Donald Trump is proposing using American cities as training grounds for the armed forces. He's suggesting U.S. military might be deployed against what he describes as the “invasion from within.” Addressing military brass abruptly summoned to Virginia on Tuesday, Trump outlined a muscular and at times norm-shattering view of the military’s role in domestic affairs. He was joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who declared an end to “woke” culture and announced new directives for troops that include “gender-neutral” or “male-level” standards for physical fitness. The messages underscored the Trump administration’s efforts not only to reshape contemporary Pentagon culture but to enlist military resources in the president's priorities and in everyday American civic life.
