Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth summoned hundreds of U.S. military officials to an in-person meeting to announce directives for troops that include “gender-neutral” or “male-level” standards for physical fitness as well as an end to “woke” culture in

Social media posts claimed that an assembly of military leaders did not applaud the defense secretary and president during speeches in late September.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s unusual meeting summoned hundreds of senior officers on short notice, pulling them from their posts around the world to Quantico, Virginia. The meeting ended up not as a showcase of major changes to the military but a recitation of familiar talking points from Hegseth and Trump.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Historically, the U.S. military has been an engine for cultural and social change in America. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s vision for the armed forces he leads runs counter to that.

All active duty military and 400,000 civilian workers are currently serving without pay due to the government shutdown. This comes a day after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed military leaders and issued new directives and standards.

Ty Seidule, a retired United States Army brigadier general and professor of history at Hamilton College in New York, called the meeting a "waste of resources" in an interview with Here & Now's Scott Tong. What is your reaction to the speech?

Last week, when news broke that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had ordered hundreds of generals from around the world to gather at the Marine base in Quantico, Virginia, this week, it set off fevered speculation about the possible reason for the unprecedented gathering.

Don Lemon called the defense secretary a "DEI hire" amid the dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within the military.