Trump References 'N‑Word' in Quantico Speech

President Trump delivered a 72-minute address at Marine Corps Base Quantico to hundreds of senior U.S. military leaders in which he called the word “nuclear” the “N-word,” saying “there are two N-words and you can’t use either of them,” a remark that drew immediate backlash and awkward laughter. He said he had ordered “a submarine or two” toward Russia in response to threats by Dmitry Medvedev and boasted that the U.S. nuclear arsenal is superior to Russia’s and China’s. The speech mixed rambling boasts — including claims about ending wars and deserving a Nobel Prize — with attacks on “woke” military policies and a call to end diversity and equity initiatives. Trump also warned that officers who disagree with him could face career consequences, prompting concern from commentators and civil–military scholars about politicizing the armed forces. The episode revived earlier instances in which Trump used the same formulation and intensified scrutiny of his rhetoric and the unusual, high-profile summons of senior commanders.