Snapshot: "It's a War From Within"

Be clear: Trump will further exploit our military to wage war in our cities against our fellow Americans. That was the message he delivered to senior officers today.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth spoke before Donald Trump Tuesday, telling senior military officers that they need to fix “decades of decay.” (Photo by Andrew Harnik/AFP via Getty Images)

Former Fox weekend host Pete Hegseth, installed as Donald Trump’s so-called “Secretary of War,” stood in front of hundreds of American military leaders from around the world and told them he doesn’t like looking at soldiers who are out of shape.

“Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops,” Hegseth said today at the Quantico Marine base in Virgina, emphasizing his own physical fitness. “Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon.”

He also said he was reviewing the Pentagon’s definition of “toxic leadership,” including bullying and hazing, in order “to empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second guessing.” He wanted these leaders to know that such behaviors have been weaponized—and he doesn’t like it. “If that makes me toxic, then so be it,” Hegseth said.

He let them know that he cares more about killing and winning than he does about following the law or doing the right thing: “We unleash overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy. We also don’t fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement.”

This is a guy who spent 12 months in Iraq and served in the Army National Guard from time to time before mouthing off on Fox News. This is the guy who was accused of sexual assault and domestic abuse before he was selected by Trump and confirmed by Senate Republicans. Here he was lecturing at admirals and generals who’ve faced decades of combat and have dedicated their lives to military service.

“You kill people and break things for a living. You are not politically correct,” he told them, offering a succinct definition of his sociopathic and reckless “warrior ethos.”

Hegseth’s arrogant performance was the over-heated warmup act for his boss, who was counting on getting his usual narcissistic pleasures from an audience that laughs and applauds his abusive statements. But Trump faced stony silence from these serious military professionals, even though he tried to get them to ignore their training.

“I’ve never walked into a room so silent before,” he said at the beginning. “Just have a good time. And if you want to applaud, you applaud.”

But if his usual clownishness and meandering comments were on full display, his messages were deadly serious and deeply alarming. He wanted these non-partisan leaders who took an oath to the Constitution to know that he’s committed to turning the military against American citizens.

“This is going to be a big thing for the people in this room, because it’s the enemy from within, and we have to handle it before it gets out of control,” Trump said. “It won’t get out of control once you’re involved at all.”

He also said that he told Hegseth to “use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military.” He was of course referring to Democratic-led cities. “Inner cities are a big part of war,” Trump said, making it utterly clear who and what he wants the military to attack.

“The ones that are run by the radical left Democrats, what they’ve done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles—they’re very unsafe places,” he told these leaders. “And we’re going to straighten them out one by one. And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That’s a war, too. It’s a war from within.”

When he finished, Trump received courteous applause, far from the rousing kowtowing and fawning of which he’s grown accustomed. In the face of a lawless and dishonorable Commander-in-Chief, these professionals’ reluctant response was one reason for hope.

So was, perhaps, no explicit demand to salute the Dear Leader—although it should be noted that Hegseth told the room, “If the words I’m speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign.”

One last note, as we witness this disgraceful behavior seeking to politicize and criminalize our military: The 1943 class of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point was responsible for erecting a plaque that made clear where American soldiers’s honor and loyalty should reside.

“The United States boldly broke with the ancient military custom of swearing loyalty to a leader. Article VI required that American Officers thereafter swear loyalty to our basic law, the Constitution,” the plaque begins. It continues:

Our American Code of Military Obedience requires that, should orders and the law ever conflict, our officers must obey the law. Many other nations have adopted our principle of loyalty to the basic law.

This nation must have military leaders of principle and integrity so strong that their oaths to support and defend the Constitution will unfailingly govern their actions. The purpose of the United States Military Academy is to provide such leaders of character.

Principle. Integrity. Loyalty to the law and the Constitution.

Soon we’ll learn whether our fellow Americans in the military will stand by the principles that define their duty to our country and the Constitution—or whether they break them to serve the depraved, degraded and lawless desires of a wannabe dictator and his sycophantic “War Secretary.”

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