Pete Hegseth Is Summoning The Generals For A PR Stunt Pep Rally

Summoning generals from around the world is expected to cost taxpayers millions of dollars all so Pete Hegseth can stage a White House promoted PR stunt.

There was some alarm when it was reported that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was summoning generals from their posts around the world for a meeting. I wrote at the time that indications were that the meeting was a Trump PR stunt designed to take attention away from the government shutdown that the president is causing.

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It turns out that the meeting is a very expensive, taxpayer-funded PR stunt.

CNN reported:

“It’s meant to be a show of force of what the new military now looks like under the president,” a White House official told CNN.

The meeting is expected to resemble “a pep rally” where Hegseth will underscore the importance of the “warrior ethos” and outline a new vision for the US military, said three of the sources. He is expected to discuss new readiness, fitness and grooming standards the officers are expected to adhere to and enforce.

“It’s about getting the horses into the stable and whipping them into shape,” said a defense official familiar with the planning. “And the guys with the stars on their shoulders make for a better audience from an optics standpoint. This is a showcase for Hegseth to tell them: get on board, or potentially have your career shortened.”

In other words, this meeting is another example of the Trump administration doing something for appearance, not results.

Much of what this administration has done has been focused on empty, reality TV-style gestures. Trump 2.0 is focused on looking strong to hide the reality that they aren’t strong.

The military is being used as props. The White House plans to film Hegseth’s speech and use it in promotional materials.

In other words, the military is being used for propagandistic purposes.

The Trump administration wastes a significant amount of time, energy, and money on superficial measures to improve its image, yet refuses to undertake the one thing that would truly enhance its reputation: effective leadership and governance.

The meeting of the generals is what the country gets when a reality TV president chooses a weekend morning show co-host to be his defense secretary, and no, until votes to change the name, the department will officially remain the Department of Defense, no matter what Trump decides to call it.

A pep rally for a captive audience that had to attend. That is what the Trump administration is trying to pass off as a sign of strength.

What do you think about Pete Hegseth’s pep rally? Share your thoughts in the comments below.