what was the meeting with the generals about

The meeting with the generals, held at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, and called by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was an unprecedented gathering of up to 800 senior military officers. The purpose was to address several key points including announcing new physical fitness and grooming standards aimed at reinforcing a "warrior ethos" and reversing what Hegseth described as a decline due to "woke" culture in the Pentagon. The meeting involved criticizing current Pentagon culture, pushing a return to more traditional military discipline, and the threat that commanders who do not support these changes might leave the service. Additionally, President Donald Trump spoke at the meeting, framing it as a rallying event that aligned military leadership with his political agenda. He suggested using "dangerous cities" in the U.S. as training grounds for the military and emphasized a theme of fighting an "enemy from within" in American inner cities, referring to a domestic ideological and security threat rather than a foreign military threat. The meeting was also notable for its scale, the last-minute announcement, and the political tone, which stirred some controversy among defense officials. In summary, the meeting was about redefining military culture and priorities, emphasizing physical readiness, loyalty, and domestic security challenges, with a politically charged message delivered by the President and Secretary of Defense to the nation's top military leaders.