Trump: The purpose of the US military is to protect the republic

US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met with high-ranking military officials serving in the US armed forces around the world at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia. Trump began his speech by referring to the wars and conflicts he had ended since taking office. "We have resolved many wars since we got here. We have been here for almost nine months," Trump said.

Addressing the issue of bringing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin together, Trump said, "But the only way we can do that is by using strength. I mean, if we were weak, they wouldn't even answer my phone call."

Offering a message of support to the generals and admirals, Trump said, "I am with you, I support you, and as President, I give you my full support. You will never see me in the slightest bit of hesitation."

Stating that he would not be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump said, "Will you get the Nobel Prize? Absolutely not. They will give it to someone who hasn't done anything. They will give it to a guy who wrote a book about Donald Trump's mind and what it takes to solve wars, and he will get the Nobel Peace Prize."

"WE WILL NOT ALLOW OTHERS TO REPLACE YOU"

Emphasizing that everything in the military will be based on merit, Trump said, "Merit. Everything will be based on merit. You will all be judged by your merit. We will not allow others to replace you for political reasons, because they are 'politically correct.' We will choose the people who will do the best job. It's very simple. That's how our country was built, too. It was built on merit."

Emphasizing that the purpose of the US military is "not to protect anyone's feelings, but to protect the republic," Trump stated, "We are bringing back an understanding focused on physical fitness, ability, character, and strength."

"THE US IS UNDER OCCUPATION FROM WITHIN"

Saying that his administration has "brought back the fundamental principle that defending the homeland is the military's first and most important priority," Trump stated, "In recent years, politicians have for some reason started to believe that our job is to police the remote corners of Kenya and Somalia, whereas the US is under occupation from within." Trump noted that these occupiers are "no different from a foreign enemy, and in many ways even more challenging because they don't wear uniforms," adding, "At least if they are wearing a uniform, you can neutralize them."

"PUTIN DISAPPOINTED ME"

Stating that Russian President Vladimir Putin disappointed him greatly regarding ending the war in Ukraine, Trump said, "I thought he would handle this. He should have finished that war in a week. I told him, 'You don't look good. You've been dragging out a war that should have ended in a week for four years. Are you a Paper Tiger?'"

In his speech, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that policies promoting diversity and inclusion in the US military have caused decay for decades, saying, "Stupid and reckless political leaders set a wrong course, and we lost our way." Arguing that the officers he dismissed were part of a broken culture, Hegseth promised to make fundamental changes in how discrimination complaints and abuse allegations are investigated at the Department of Defense.

Hegseth said, "If the words I am saying today strike fear into your heart, then you should act with honor and resign. I know that the vast majority of you feel the exact opposite. These words fill your hearts with hope and pride."

Criticizing the appearance of US generals and admirals, Hegseth said, "Seeing fat generals and admirals in the hallways of the Pentagon is completely unacceptable. It's a bad look."

News Source: İHA