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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Shrai Popat in Washington and Ariana Baio in New York City

Hegseth confirms plan to cut 20% of US top military brass and rails at ‘beardos, weirdos and wimps’

Pete Hegseth gestures on stage before a large flag screen, watched by silhouetted audience
The secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, gestures after giving a State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on Wednesday. Photograph: Alex Wong/Pool Getty Images North America/AP

The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has confirmed plans to cut 20% of generals and admirals and declared “no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps” would be tolerated inside the country’s military.

Delivering his latest extraordinary attack on diversity, and dismissing reports of low morale within the US armed forces as “false claims”, Hegseth also suggested they were retaining service personnel at “record” rates.

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