Donald Trump will attend a meeting on Tuesday bringing together hundreds of American generals and admirals from around the world, unusually summoned to a military base near Washington.
No official has explained the purpose of this meeting, which comes amid a political tightening of control over the U.S. military, marked by troop deployments in American cities and a purge of senior officers.
Organized at the initiative of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who will deliver a speech there, the gathering has pleased the U.S. president.
"I love it. I mean, I think it’s great," Donald Trump said Thursday, addressing his defense secretary. "Let him socialize with generals and admirals from around the world," he added.
Donald Trump will also visit the Quantico military base in eastern Virginia, where he is expected to speak, according to his official schedule.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, sought to downplay the importance of the meeting, telling reporters that it was "not unusual at all" and that it was "strange" the press was making such a big deal out of it.
Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell simply stated in a press release that Pete Hegseth "will give a speech to his top military officials," without further details.
The exceptional nature of this meeting and the lack of an official explanation have fueled numerous theories about its purpose, including speculation about a major announcement concerning the Pentagon.
The Department of Defense — usually relatively insulated from direct political intervention — has been particularly shaken since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.
The deployment of soldiers in the streets of several U.S. cities — a very rare occurrence in the United States — has been harshly criticized by the Democratic opposition.
Abroad, deadly strikes carried out in the Caribbean, which destroyed boats that Washington claimed were transporting drugs, have come under fire. Donald Trump has also ordered strikes against Iranian nuclear sites and Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are backed by Tehran.
Trump’s return has also shaken the Pentagon internally, which he has renamed the "Department of War."
In May, Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered significant reductions in the number of top-ranking officers in the U.S. military, including at least a 20% cut in the number of active four-star generals and admirals.
The Pentagon also announced plans to reduce its civilian workforce by at least 5%.
Several senior U.S. military officials have been pushed out since Trump’s return to the White House in January.
In February, the president abruptly fired Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Charles "CQ" Brown, without providing an explanation.
Others dismissed include the head of the U.S. Navy, the Coast Guard commandant, the vice chief of staff of the Air Force, and several high-ranking military lawyers.
With AFP
Comments