Trump Calls U.S. Cities ‘Training Grounds’ for Military, Rebrands Pentagon as ‘Department of War’

President Donald Trump on Wednesday proposed using American cities as “training grounds” for U.S. troops, escalating his rhetoric on domestic unrest and linking law enforcement to national defense.

According to BBC, in a rare gathering at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Trump addressed hundreds of generals and admirals from around the world, describing civil disturbances as the “enemy from within.” He praised recent deployments of National Guard troops to Washington, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, as part of his crackdown on crime and immigration enforcement.

“They’re very unsafe places and we’re going to straighten them out one by one,” Trump said, calling Democratic-led cities like Chicago, New York and San Francisco “a war from within.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking before Trump, announced sweeping cultural and fitness reforms at the Pentagon, declaring the end of “woke” policies and instituting uniform, “male-level” physical standards. He acknowledged the change could exclude some women from service but argued that standards must remain “high, gender neutral, and uniform.”

Hegseth also pledged to eliminate beard exemptions, anonymous complaints and diversity programs, while promising a “warrior ethos” shift. He confirmed further leadership changes after previous firings of senior commanders.

Trump endorsed Hegseth’s agenda, praising his rebranding of the Pentagon as the “Department of War.” He argued that the symbolic change reflected “fitness, ability and character” over “political correctness.”

Critics denounced the remarks as authoritarian and discriminatory. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker accused Trump of using military and immigration authorities to “invade and disrupt” U.S. cities. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a combat veteran, said Hegseth’s policies would hurt recruitment and unfairly target women and minorities.

The international audience reacted with silence to Trump’s and Hegseth’s speeches. Some foreign officials questioned the necessity of the in-person summit. “As far as my 49 years of service, I’ve never seen that before,” said Italian Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, NATO’s military committee chair.

Trump closed by invoking a “reawakening of the warrior spirit,” touting his record of “settling seven wars” and pressing for a Gaza cease-fire plan.