US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth declared 'no fatties, no trannies' as he praised the Trump administration's military culture shift and promoted tougher standards at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on Wednesday.
Hegseth had promised an annual 'State of the Force' address after last year's gathering of generals and admirals. This time, he presented his push for stricter standards to hundreds of junior officers and enlisted leaders.
Recruitment Claims and Leadership Cuts
'No fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors,' Hegseth said. 'The ideological clowns are out. The patriotic cowboys are in, with testosterone testing on top.'
He claimed recruitment and retention had increased, including among women and minorities, and described the force as merit-based. He called it 'color-blind' as he defended the administration's changes.
Hegseth also said he had already reduced the general and flag officer positions by 10% and was aiming for a total reduction of 20%. He has argued since taking charge at the Pentagon that the military has too many officers at that level.
At last year's Quantico gathering, senior officers remained almost entirely silent during his remarks on political issues covered in his book The War on Warriors. In the latest address, he named former generals and defence secretaries whom he blamed for weakening the military.
Dismissals Draw Bipartisan Criticism
The reduction drive has involved firings and interventions in promotion boards that have effectively ended some senior officers' careers. Several prominent dismissals involved Black or female officers who had strong service records and were removed without explanation.
The dismissals and his involvement in promotion decisions have drawn bipartisan criticism.
On Tuesday, 29 September, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the leading Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, challenged Hegseth's handling of those departures.
'Throughout his tenure, Secretary Hegseth has taken countless reckless, partisan actions that have damaged our military. He has ended the careers of dozens of our most accomplished senior officers and refused to explain why. Today's news should alarm every American,' Reed said in a statement.
Hegseth's speech also targeted journalists covering troop morale and depleted munitions stocks during the war with Iran, now in its seventh month. He accused sections of the press of misrepresenting troops and their mission.
'A free press is, of course, important, but partisan activism that intentionally smears the troops and the historic mission that they're undertaking is fundamentally anti-American,' he said.
He went further, describing such coverage as a national betrayal and treason.
The Pentagon had not held a news briefing since May, despite the continuing war and a handpicked press corps.
Tenure Changes at Military Academies
Beyond personnel changes, Hegseth this week announced an end to new tenure appointments for civilian faculty at US military academies. A Pentagon press release said the move would 'reform our educational institutions to ensure they remain laser-focused on lethality and readiness.'
He criticised elite academic institutions as anti-American while naming five colleges that would pilot an enhanced relationship with the Pentagon to produce officer candidates. He also pledged to elevate military chaplains and described religious faith as the republic's most essential component.
Other initiatives announced in the speech concerned autonomous weapons, technological innovation, base construction and domestic production of essential military supplies.
