Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has vowed to purge the US military of "fatties, trannies and weirdos" in an explosive address to troops. Speaking at US Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on Wednesday, the Pentagon chief declared that the second Trump administration had successfully engineered a seismic cultural shift within the armed forces.
Addressing hundreds of junior military officers and enlisted leaders, Mr Hegseth, who also serves as the US's Secretary of War, laid out the administration's uncompromising vision for the future of the force. "No fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors," Mr Hegseth said. "The ideological clowns are out. The patriotic cowboys are in, with testosterone testing on top."
Reduction in senior ranks
Since taking the helm at the Pentagon, Mr Hegseth has pledged to aggressively trim the military's flag-officer corps. He revealed he had already achieved a 10% reduction in senior ranks, with the ultimate goal of cutting 20%.
However, his high-profile firings and unprecedented intervention in promotion boards - effectively ending the careers of several top commanders, including Charles Costanza - have sparked fierce bipartisan backlash in Washington. Critics have pointed out that a significant number of those dismissed without clear explanation were Black or female officers with distinguished service records.
Senator's condemnation
Democratic Senator Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a blistering condemnation following the speech: "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."
During his "State of the Force" address - which he stated would remain an annual fixture - Mr Hegseth defended his sweeping reforms, insisting that recruitment and retention rates, including among women and minority groups, had actually increased. He described the reshaped armed forces as entirely "color-blind" and strictly merit-based.
Press and Pentagon initiatives
Mr Hegseth also directed heavy fire at news outlets reporting on low troop morale and dwindling munitions reserves amid the ongoing war with Iran, now entering its seventh month. "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. It's sick. It's a national betrayal. It's treason, actually," Mr Hegseth warned, after ordering troops to tune in to the address.
Despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Pentagon has not held a formal press briefing since May. Mr Hegseth also announced major Pentagon initiatives to expand the use of autonomous weapons, boost domestic military manufacturing and build out base infrastructure. He also pledged to elevate military chaplains, end civilian tenure at service academies to keep them "laser-focused on lethality and readiness," and partner with five new colleges to pilot officer training programs.
