DLNews Politics:

Warrior Ethos, or: Let This Meeting Be Your Resignation Letter

Top American military brass sat in uneasy silence this week as they were summoned to an extraordinary gathering at Quantico. The hosts? President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who prefers the more theatrical title of “Secretary of War.” What they received was part pep talk, part ultimatum, and part culture-war revival.

Hegseth’s central message was blunt: the U.S. military is soft, distracted, and far too politicized. “Fat generals” were singled out as examples of decline, and the cure was presented as a “warrior ethos” makeover straight out of 1990. Beards are out, diversity programs are gone, and new physical standards—twice-yearly fitness tests for everyone, including generals—are in. “If the words I’m speaking today are making your hearts sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign,” Hegseth told the room. Trump added his own flourish, warning that if anyone disliked the plan, they could leave—though “there goes your rank, there goes your future.” Half a joke, half a threat, and entirely on brand.

The new rules go beyond grooming. Climate change initiatives and what Hegseth derided as “dudes in dresses” are to be scrapped, while mandatory Christian prayer services will be introduced. Meanwhile, Hegseth promised to scrap “politically correct rules of engagement” in favor of “maximum lethality.” For the record, rules of engagement are not optional—they’re enshrined in U.S. law and the Geneva Conventions. Critics warn that dismantling them risks turning the American military into something far less disciplined and far more dangerous.

But the most consequential directive came from Trump, who described America’s inner cities as “a big part of war now.” He has already sent National Guard troops into Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Portland, and is weighing deployments to Chicago and Memphis. Framing urban unrest as an “invasion from within,” Trump told generals that cities would become “training grounds” for troops. The Posse Comitatus Act, which limits federal military involvement in domestic law enforcement, remains an obstacle—but the administration seems determined to test its boundaries.

What does this all mean? On paper, it’s a drive for discipline and readiness. In practice, it looks like a loyalty purge dressed up as a boot camp reboot. Out with Milley-type generals who question using troops on U.S. soil, in with the ghost of George Patton. The implication for officers in that room was clear: adapt to the new ethos, or risk being sidelined.

So are we preparing for war? Maybe not in the traditional sense. The “warrior ethos” now appears aimed less at foreign enemies and more at reshaping the military into a force that fights cultural battles at home. The silence of the generals in that chamber may have said more than any applause could.