Trump makes last-minute plan to attend Hegseth’s meeting with top US generals, admirals

US President Donald Trump has said that he will attend the gathering of around 800 top generals and admirals at Quantico, Virginia, on Tuesday.

Trump’s attendance is bound to add to the security and logistical crisis that such a large gathering at such a short notice would lead to. He has not said he would deliver an address as well. Instead, he has described the unprecedented gathering as business as usual.

“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. 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,” Trump told NBC News.

Last week, The Washington Post reported that War Secretary Pete Hegseth had called a meeting of all general-ranking officers —around 800 in number— at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, without any agenda. The meeting at such a short notice led to a logistical and security crisis as thousands of persons, officers would be travelling with their staff, would need to be provided lodging and security.

It later emerged that Hegseth would deliver a speech at the gathering about the so-called ‘warrior ethos’ that he has been pushing for in the military.

The Post later reported, citing a planning document dated Saturday, that Trump had confirmed his participation to the Pentagon.

Trump’s attendance will “significantly change the security posture” of Hegseth’s speech, the newspaper reported.

Is another purge on the cards?

In the garb of inculcating so called warrior ethos in the military, Hegseth and Trump have fired some of the top military officers, such as General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown Jr as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Lisa Franchetti as the Chief of Naval Operations, General James Slife as Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse as the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) chief, and Rear Admiral Milton ‘Jamie’ Sands III as the Navy Seals chief.

Trump has long wished to remake the US military in his image and use it as he deems fit — irrespective of the constitution or the law. In his second term, Trump has broken all precedents to deploy military domestically against US citizens. There are concerns that Trump and Hegseth are purging the military to fill senior ranks with their loyalists who would do their bidding at all costs.

Separately, Hegseth has said that he wants to fire a minimum of 20 per cent four-star generals and reduce 10 per cent of all general and flag staff positions.

In May 2025, Hegseth ordered a 20% reduction in four-star generals and admirals and a 10% cut in all general and flag officers across the military, citing the need to eliminate “unnecessary bureaucratic layers”.