Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered more than 800 of the country’s military commanders to gather at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. Many flew in from thousands of miles away on short notice, so presumably Hegseth and President Donald Trump had something very important to tell them.

Instead, Hegseth called military leaders “fat” and Trump delivered a rambling, rally-style speech. The president spoke in a wheezy, sleepy tone for more than an hour, on a stage clearly meant to resemble the movie Patton. His prepared remarks were full of dictatorlike complaints about “the enemy within,” and justifications for using the military to police U.S. cities. But it was hard to track the major themes, as there were so many long, self-aggrandizing ad-libs. This included rants about Joe Biden, praise for Barack Obama’s ability to walk down stairs, and an “N-word” joke that fell flat with military officials. It may not be the most disturbing or incoherent speech Trump has ever delivered, but given the context it was really something.

Here are some of the dumbest and most disturbing moments.

The self-styled secretary of War, who famously said women should not be in combat roles prior to joining the Trump administration, said he will impose the “highest male standards only” for combat roles.

“If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is,” he said. “It will also mean that weak men won’t qualify — because we’re not playing games. This is combat. This is life or death.”

The former Fox News host defined “woke garbage” as diversity efforts, acknowledging climate science, and allowing transgender people to serve (though he put it far more nastily).

“No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses,” he said. “No more climate-change worship, no more division, distraction or gender delusions, no more debris. As I’ve said before, and will say again, we are done with that shit.”

Hegseth: "No more dudes in dresses. No more climate change worship ... we are done with that shit." pic.twitter.com/QFu9U5Pf06

Hegseth also said he’s tired of seeing “fat generals and admirals” and asserted that if he can manage to do “regular hard PT,” every member of the military should be able to do the same.

“Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops,” he said. “Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon leading commands around the country and the world.”

Hegseth: "It all starts with physical fitness and appearance. If the secretary of war can do regular hard PT, so can every member of our joint force. Frankly, it's tiring to look out at combat formations or........

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