President Trump is slated to attend an unusual meeting of military leaders Tuesday in Virginia organized by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The meeting, which is reportedly expected to bring together hundreds of generals and admirals from around the world, was first reported last week by The Washington Post.
The Pentagon confirmed Thursday that Hegseth “will be addressing his senior military leaders” but has offered no additional details as to what the conversation will entail.
The gathering, highly unusual in terms of its size and last-minute nature, has stirred speculation over what could compel the Defense Department to hold such a meeting.
Here’s what we know so far about Tuesday’s meeting:
Where is the meeting?
The meeting will be organized at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va.
Who will be there?
Hundreds of military leaders are expected to attend.
The directive was reportedly sent to virtually all the military’s top commanders worldwide, including all senior officers with the rank of brigadier general or above, their Navy equivalent and their top enlisted advisers — more than 800 generals or admirals.
The military leaders could come from conflict zones in the Middle East and Africa, and others from the European and Indo-Pacific theaters, leaving their stations without its top officer.
Trump will also be in attendance.
What precedent is there for such a large meeting?
It is very rare to call for such a large meeting of top officers in person in one location, particularly only days in advance. Even smaller assemblies typically take months to plan.
While meetings of top military officials are not unusual, the sheer number of combatant commanders for this upcoming meeting has raised eyebrows, as has the limited information as to why it is taking place.
Military leaders often rely on secure communications to meet remotely without leaving their bases, including during times of conflict.
“We’re way out in terms of unusual in this one,” retired Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, a former commanding general of U.S. Army Europe, said Friday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
What is the meeting about?
Trump on Sunday described the gathering to NBC News as “really just a very nice meeting talking about how well we’re doing militarily, talking about being in great shape, talking about a lot of good, positive things.”
“We have some great people coming in, and it’s just an esprit de corps. You know the expression ‘esprit de corps’?” Trump told the network in a phone interview. “That’s all it’s about. We’re talking about what we’re doing, what they’re doing, and how we’re doing.”
An official familiar with the plans previously told NBC the meeting was meant for Hegseth to highlight the military’s accomplishments and outline the future of the Defense Department under the Trump administration.
The Post reported Friday that the meeting is “meant to be an eyeball-to-eyeball kind of conversation” between Hegseth and his top officers, citing one person familiar with ongoing discussions.
Richard Haass, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, hypothesized that the meeting could be “a cultural thing,” with Hegseth wanting to “assert his authority.”
Active-duty colleagues “don’t know what this is about,” Hertling said. “So it could be about a shifting national security strategy, it could be cuts to the general officer corps — Secretary Hegseth has mentioned that several times — it could be about the upcoming budget stalemate, or it could be concerns over information leaks or press leaks.”
What has the White House said?
Trump and Vice President Vance downplayed reports about the meeting last week.
“It’s actually not unusual at all, and I think it’s odd that you guys have made it into such a big story,” Vance said.
“I think it’s great when generals and top people want to come to the United States to be with our now-secretary of War,” Trump said at the White House on Thursday, suggesting the generals would be “touring equipment sites” and “talking about the newest weapons.”
Ellen Mitchell contributed reporting.
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