“I’ve Never Had a Room So Quiet”: Trump Speaks to Military Leaders
US military senior leaders listen as President Trump speaks at Marine Corps Base Quantico on Tuesday in Quantico, Virginia. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Trump followed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s address to the nation’s top generals with a wide-ranging 70-minute speech of his own. While he didn’t announce any new military initiatives, the president touched on a variety of topics, according to reporting from CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and USA Today.
Training grounds: Trump said he suggested to Hegseth that “we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military,” referring to areas where he has already deployed National Guard troops. “We’re going into Chicago very soon,” he added.
Retaliation: Addressing the generals, Trump said that if military vehicles were attacked with bricks or other objects during protests, “you get out of that car, and you can do whatever the hell you want.”
Silence: The president noted the unusual quiet when he entered the room. Military protocol required the generals’ silence, but Trump remarked, “I’ve never walked into a room so silent before.” He joked, “Don’t laugh, don’t laugh, you’re not allowed to do that. If you don’t like what I’m saying, you can leave the room. Of course, there goes your rank, there goes your future, but you just feel nice and loose, OK?”
Name change: Trump said he expected more resistance from Democrats over his decision to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, but suggested that his critics had run out of energy to fight him on the issue.
Submarines: At one point, Trump recalled ordering two nuclear submarines to position near Russia following remarks from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. “It was really a stupid person … mentioned the word nuclear,” Trump said. “I call it the n-word. There are two n-words, and you can’t use either of them.”
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