'Low, banal and puerile': Why did Pete Hegseth fly 800 generals in for a fat-shaming speech?
Pete Hegseth has declared the US military as “woke” and suggested drill sergeants use violence against recruits to instill fear and produce “fighters”. But was it worth US time and money to fly senior military officers to attend a speech about being “fat” in the army?
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In brief…
- Pete Hegseth addressed senior US military personnel, flown in from across the world, in a “bizarre” speech, in which he criticised “fat generals” and “woke” policies in America’s armed forces.
- The News Agents say many of those who attended will have flown home from combat zones believing Hegseth’s address would be vital to national security.
- They add that he is trying to craft a movie version of the US army, when history shows that it is brainpower which has won wars, not six-packs and chiseled jaws.
What’s the story?
A promise of "overwhelming, and punishing violence", American soldiers who "hunt and kill", and "maximum lethality" from the US Army.
Yep, it's just another day in Trump's America.
These words were given by secretary of war (recently renamed from defence) Pete Hegseth during a speech to military leaders in Virginia, US.
The former Fox News host gathered together 800 generals and admirals from around the world, flying them in for what was dubbed as a high, secretive level summit.
But what they arrived to find was a furious speech about weight, “woke” culture and DEI.
Addressing the room, Hegseth suggested an end of combat roles for women in the US army, saying that physical ability for US troops must be "high and gender neutral", noting that it might mean no women and “weak men” will fail to qualify for combat jobs.
He said the US military had become the "woke department" - but promised that will change with an end to “identity months, DEI offices and dudes in dresses”.
He also encouraged drill sergeants to “put their hands” on new recruits to instill fear into them.
“The signal he's sending out now is that hazing is back – and if you are black or female, you probably don't want to be part of the US military,” Emily Maitlis says.
Hegseth, (the “fat-shamer-in-chief,” says Emily) went on to attack “fat generals” - whether they’re working in combat or in an office.
“It's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country in the world, it's a bad look,” he told the near-silent room of senior military.
The most shocking part of this announcement, Emily says, is that these senior military personnel were flown back from posts around the world, potentially in conflict zones, to hear this “bizarre” speech.
Emily believes many would have attended in the belief that it would be “vital to national security.”
The speech was “low, banal and puerile,” Jon adds.
He compares Hegseth’s new criteria for the US military to casting a Hollywood movie about war, where everyone is ripped with six packs and chiselled jaws.
Jon adds that much warfare is fought off the battlefield, from Alan Turing and the code-breakers of Bletchley Park during the Second World War, to the drone operators in Ukraine fighting Russian invaders.
“It is the quality of their brains that mattered – not their height, weight and facial hair.”