Hegseth said soldiers in combat must pass a very hard physical test. He said he does not want to see “fat generals” at the Pentagon. He also said he doesn’t want women in combat units if they cannot meet the same physical standards as men.
Trump spoke for 72 minutes about many things. He talked about Joe Biden, Russia, and the media. He said the army must be so powerful that no other country will challenge the United States. He also made a joke to the quiet audience, saying he could fire them if they left his speech. The event showed their goal to build a bigger and more powerful military. They want to focus on strength and fighting skills, not on diversity policies. The main message was to make the armed forces stronger and more dominant.