US President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak at a hastily called meeting of top military leaders on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with his plans. Hundreds of generals, admirals, senior commanders of the one-star rank or higher, and their top advisers have been summoned from around the world to the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia. The summons came with little notice from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The individual who shared these details was not authorized to discuss the president’s plans before a public announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity. News about the meeting first broke on Thursday, and when initially asked by reporters during an Oval Office appearance, Mr. Trump did not seem aware of it.
“I’ll be there if they want me, but why is it such a big deal?” Mr. Trump said.
The president’s participation in the meeting raises concerns about the potential for a politicized event in front of a traditionally nonpartisan audience of military leaders. For example, in June, he delivered campaign-style remarks to uniformed personnel at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where he criticized his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.
Mr. Trump has also been expanding the use of the military in American cities, arguing it is necessary to combat crime in areas where Democratic leaders, he contends, are failing to maintain public safety. The National Guard continues to patrol in the District of Columbia, with a smaller deployment expected in Memphis, Tennessee. On Saturday, Mr. Trump announced plans to send troops to Portland, Oregon, to protect against what he called domestic terrorists.
Despite objections from local and state officials, Mr. Trump previously deployed the National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles amid protests against immigration raids.
The Pentagon’s top spokesman has confirmed that Secretary Hegseth will address his senior military leaders early next week.
Across the military, there are approximately 800 generals and admirals of all ranks. Many command thousands of service members and are stationed in more than a dozen countries across multiple time zones.
The Washington Post was the first to report on Mr. Trump’s plans to attend the upcoming meeting.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/trump-to-speak-at-hastily-called-meeting-of-top-military-leaders-reports-1812282.html