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Trump, Hegseth prepare to address top US military leaders at Quantico
President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are set to address hundreds of U.S. military leaders on Tuesday morning at the Marine Corp base in Quantico, Va.
© AP
Trump told NBC News that the gathering will be “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.”
Hegseth, who has routinely emphasized prioritizing a "warrior spirit" within the Defense Department, abruptly ordered generals and admirals last week to attend the event, which quickly raised questions about what would be discussed.
Some Democratic lawmakers have also questioned the wisdom of bringing together hundreds of senior military leaders in one location, with many of those ordered to attend reportedly returning from their stations around the world.
Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to Hegseth over the weekend calling for transparency surrounding the gathering, including for the administration to outline "contingency plans" in the event of a security breach.
“For an administration obsessed with rooting out waste, this abrupt, time and resource-intensive meeting of our military’s top commanders, all of whom have earned their positions through superior performance over decades of service, to reportedly hear you, the least qualified Secretary of Defense in living memory, lecture about military standards and warfighting is absurd,” the pair wrote.
Stick with TheHill.com on Tuesday morning for full coverage of the event.
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