Defense Secretary Hegseth Summons Senior Military Leaders for 'Warrior Ethos' Address

"...The best generals and admirals know this because they’ve practiced it for years, and they have spent their careers either adapting or preparing to adapt—not only on the battlefield but in every professional setting...."

"...That phrase—taking them to the stables—is more befitting a cowboy movie than a national security meeting, and it truthfully sparked unease among those who have actually led soldiers into combat over the last twenty years...."

"...I’ve watched President Trump address military audiences in the past...."

"...Even as the president veered into insulting the policies of past administrations, mocking former President Biden, and boasting about a rich friend’s 'trophy wife,' the cadets kept their composure...."

"...Freshly commissioned second lieutenants, on the brink of careers of service, knew their duty was to project professionalism no matter what swirled around them...."

"...They showed they could adapt...."

"...It was a troubling scene: indiscipline wrapped in partisan theater...."

"...Their actions harmed the reputation of the Army...."

"...I know many of these men and women...."

"...They are not an easy crowd to play to...."

"...Their silence is not weakness—it is discipline, the kind of discipline that has carried them through war and loss...."

"...I believe they will maintain that silence and their poker faces; that is what I would do if in the audience...."

"...And those actions will speak volumes...."

"...If the president tries the same kind of speech he gave last week at the United Nations—veering into self-congratulation, derision of allies, and ridicule of adversaries in ways that play to a domestic political audience—the alarm inside that room will likely grow more palpable...."

"...These officers have sat across from NATO counterparts, briefed coalition partners in the Indo-Pacific, and negotiated with allies whose trust in America is essential...."

"...They will hear such rhetoric not as showmanship but as recklessness...."

"...I hope it is our senior officers showing they know how to adapt to any environment, even this one, by falling back on the real ethos and values that guides their every action...."

"...I hope they will not become props or pawns...."

"...And I hope the loudest message they send is no message at all—only that they have the quiet, disciplined silence of professionals who know their oath is to the Constitution, not to a man...."