President Donald Trump will attend a last-minute gathering of the nation's top military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, amplifying security concerns and raising questions about the politicization of the U.S. military.
Trump Joins Last-Minute Military Summit At Quantico, Surprising Top Generals
On Sunday, President Trump announced that he will attend the last-minute gathering of the nation's top generals, called by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week.
"It's 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," Trump told NBC News.
He added, "It's just an esprit de corps. We're talking about what we're doing, what they're doing, and how we're doing."
The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday morning at Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia. It will include generals and admirals ranked one star and above, along with senior enlisted leaders, many traveling from overseas, reported The Washington Post.
Security, Costs And Domestic Military Actions Raise Concerns
Officials estimate the event will cost millions in transportation and lodging and have raised concerns about having the top leadership concentrated in one location.
In a related move, Trump called for troops to be deployed in Portland, Oregon, to protect federal facilities, raising questions about the legal authority to send federal forces on state soil.
Gov. Tina Kotek (D-Ore.) has indicated potential legal challenges, highlighting tensions over domestic military use.
Trump's Pentagon Rename Plan And Strikes Signal Aggressive US Defense Moves
Earlier this month, Trump planned to sign an executive order allowing the Pentagon to use the name "Department of War" instead of the Department of Defense.
Historically, the Pentagon had been called the War Department until 1949, and renaming it again would have required global updates to signage, seals, and official communications.
At the same time, the Trump administration deployed 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico amid concerns that Venezuela, acting as a Russian proxy, was facilitating large-scale drug trafficking into the U.S.
Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) called the operations "acts of war," saying the U.S. had a duty to protect its citizens from fentanyl and other drugs crossing the border.
Trump later announced a second strike against a Venezuelan drug-smuggling boat in international waters, killing three men and sharing an unverified video of a vessel exploding.
He described it as a follow-up to a Sept. 2 operation that killed 11 people, emphasizing that the cartels posed a threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, and vital interests.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
