US President Donald Trump has ignited controversy after suggesting that American cities should serve as “training grounds” for the military. Speaking at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, Trump told hundreds of generals and admirals that “civil disturbances” represent the “enemy from within.” He argued that deploying the military to urban areas would help restore order in what he called unsafe, crime-ridden cities.
The remarks follow Trump’s recent deployment of National Guard troops to Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Portland to support immigration enforcement and crime crackdowns. He singled out Democratic-led cities including San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, vowing to “straighten them out one by one.”
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who addressed the summit before Trump, announced sweeping reforms to Pentagon culture. Among them are the introduction of “male-level” physical fitness standards, the end of beard exemptions, and tighter rules on complaints procedures. Hegseth described his vision as a return to a “warrior ethos,” declaring an end to what he called “woke culture” in the armed forces.
The moves quickly drew criticism. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker accused Trump of using troops to “invade and disrupt” US cities, while Senator Tammy Duckworth, a veteran, warned that Hegseth’s remarks risked deterring women and minorities from military service.
Trump, however, defended the cultural shift, insisting that a focus on “fitness, ability, and character” was necessary for national security. He also praised the decision to rebrand the Pentagon as the Department of War, calling it a “historic re-assertion” of American identity.
Despite Trump’s fiery rhetoric, many of the assembled officers remained silent during the address, underscoring the unease surrounding his proposals. While Trump claimed the reforms would “reawaken the warrior spirit,” critics argue that politicizing the military and using US cities as training grounds could erode public trust in America’s armed forces.
