Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's summoning of senior military leaders to Virginia for a Tuesday meeting bewildered military and congressional officials.
- Then, President Trump added to the mystery by announcing he'd also attend the hush-hush event.
The big picture: The gathering at Quantico, a Marine Corps base, has little precedent — and the president's appearance adds heightened security questions to the already massive event that will bring together the nation's top generals from across the globe.
Driving the news: Trump billed the event as a "very nice meeting talking about how well we're doing militarily" in a phone call with NBC News, confirming that he planned to join the hundreds of military leaders.
- The Defense Department and White House have secure ways to communicate across countries and timezones, Axios' Colin Demarest reports, and it's unorthodox to have leaders simultaneously depart their stations.
- The gathering that Trump is framing as a sort of military pep rally came after months of high-profile retirements and removals that wiped away decades of the country's national security experience and a historic rebrand to the "Department of War."
Catch up quick: Hegseth called on leaders stationed across the world to attend the meeting earlier this month without giving any reason for the event, The Washington Post first reported.
Read on for more about Tuesday's unorthodox gathering:
Who will attend Hegseth's meeting?
The Post reported that the order directed "all general officers in command in grade O-7 through O-10 and their general officer senior enlisted advisers" to attend but did not apply to top officers who hold staff positions.
- Those classifications (O-7 through O-10) refer to generals and admirals.
- The summons included commanders in critical regions like the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific.
The latest: Trump told NBC News that "we have some great people coming in" — a group he'll now accompany just days after directing troops to "War ravaged" Portland, Oregon.
- Hegseth is set to deliver a speech.
What will be discussed at the Quantico gathering?
In his address, the Fox-host-turned-Defense-Secretary will describe his vision for the future of the military, his goal of restoring the "warrior ethos" and his standards to attain that fighting spirit, multiple outlets have reported.
- Those reports also indicate that his address will be brief.
State of play: A White House official confirmed to Axios that the president would also speak at the event.
- Trump told NBC the gathering would have a "good message" that includes "talking about being in great shape, talking about a lot of good, positive things."
- He continued, "You know the expression 'esprit de corps'? That's all it's about. We're talking about what we're doing, what they're doing and how we're doing."
Between the lines: Since his contentious confirmation, Hegseth has pledged to rebuild what he calls a "warrior ethos" and vowed to "MAKE AMERICA LETHAL AGAIN."
- During his tenure, the administration has axed projects and people deemed redundant or old school, Demarest reports, and distanced the Pentagon from traditional forums in favor of friendlier channels.
- Hegseth also helmed the administration's forced ouster of transgender service members and declared diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to be "dead."
By the numbers: On top of the firing of prominent figures, like Gen. CQ Brown Jr., Hegseth has also called for leadership to cut the military's four-star generals and admirals on active duty by 20%.
What have administration officials said about the meeting?
Trump praised Hegseth's meeting during a Thursday White House appearance:
- "Let him be friendly with the generals and admirals from all over the world," the president said. He also questioned, "You act like this is a bad thing. Isn't it nice that people are coming from all over the world to be with us?"
Vice President JD Vance jumped in, saying he found it "odd" that reporters had "made it into such a big story"
- He said it's "not particularly unusual" that the leaders would come for a visit with the secretary.
Where is the meeting taking place?
Top military leaders will gather for an in-person event at Quantico, which situated some 30 miles outside of D.C.
- Quantico is an educational hub and military installation for the Marines and FBI and houses the U.S. Marine Corps' Combat Development Command, Axios' Herb Scribner reports.
- It's also home to the FBI Quantico academy and a DEA training facility.
Go deeper: How the Department of War became the Department of Defense
Editor's note: This story was updated with confirmation from the White House that Trump will speak at the meeting.
