Trump, Hegseth to headline a highly unusual gathering of top military officials

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s meeting with top U.S. military leaders Tuesday in Quantico, Va., would be highly unusual at any time, but it’s made more unusual by the fact that President Trump said he would attend the gathering.

“It’s really just a very nice meeting talking about how well we’re doing militarily, talking about being in great shape, talking about a lot of good, positive things. It’s just a good message,” Trump told NBC News. “We have some great people coming in, and it’s just an ‘esprit de corps.’ You know the expression ‘esprit de corps’? That’s all it’s about. We’re talking about what we’re doing, what they’re doing and how we’re doing.”

Those details are the most public yet to emerge about the gathering since U.S. military officials confirmed to NPR that Hegseth had ordered hundreds of generals and admirals to the Marine Corps base in Quantico. News of the meeting was first reported in The Washington Post.

But the lack of details led to speculation that Hegseth, who has made a “warrior ethos” central to his view of the military, might use the occasion to fire generals. The defense secretary has long called for reducing the number of admirals and generals, who stand at more than 800, by about 20%.

The presence of military leaders from across the globe at one central location presents challenges from both an operational and a national security perspective. The president’s attendance adds to those challenges.