Trump Urges Troops to Fight 'Invasion From Within'

At Marine Corps Base Quantico, President Donald Trump told hundreds of senior officers the United States faces a “war” or “invasion from within,” naming crime, migrants and the “radical left” as threats and suggesting dangerous American cities could serve as military training grounds. He defended recent National Guard deployments to Washington, Los Angeles, Memphis and Portland, floated sending forces to other Democratic-run cities, and proposed a military quick reaction force to “handle” domestic unrest. Trump also warned he could fire officers who displeased him. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth convened the unprecedented gathering and used the platform to push anti-“woke” reforms, announcing stricter fitness and appearance standards and a shift in emphasis toward war‑fighting. Critics said the remarks politicized the military, risk unlawful domestic troop use, raise constitutional concerns and could create operational‑security strains from summoning officers worldwide, while many senior officers remained publicly silent.