Pete Hegseth is facing fierce backlash after using a transphobic slur during his State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia on Wednesday.
The defense secretary, 44, delivered the speech to hundreds of junior officers and enlisted troops, closing to a standing ovation from the audience. During his remarks, Hegseth declared: “We are no longer the woke department or the weak department.” He then listed who he believes has no place in the military: “no fatties, no t*****s, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals, just warriors, just tough, ready, committed troops.”
The word he used is widely recognized as a transphobic slur. GLAAD describes it as “one of the most extreme slurs for a trans person,” saying it is “commonly used to humiliate and degrade transgender individuals.”
Social media erupted in response to the remarks. One person wrote online: “This isn’t the military I grew up respecting. America’s strength was never ‘everybody look alike, think alike, worship alike’. It was taking Americans from every background, putting them behind ONE mission, and letting the best ideas and best people go to work.”
Another commenter fired back simply: “You sound like a deranged toddler.”
A third added: “You are one hateful dude and a really bad leader.”
Hegseth’s speech also unveiled major Pentagon initiatives. He announced the creation of an “autonomous warfare command” for robotics, which he described as equivalent to the military’s geographic and functional combatant commands.
He pointed out three civilians seated in the audience: Elon Musk, Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey, and former House speaker Newt Gingrich. Calling them “three of our nations’ best minds,” Hegseth said they would lead Project Meridian, a new effort to study the future of warfare. He added that he would meet them at a secure facility on the base immediately following his remarks.
The defense secretary also proposed building a “fortress” somewhere in the United States, with state governors competing to host it by offering hundreds of thousands of acres. Tens of thousands of troops currently stationed overseas would be based there, though he did not specify which countries would see reductions.
Pointing to reporters at the back of the room, Hegseth accused “anti-American losers in our media” of aiding the country’s enemies through their coverage of the war in Iran. “It’s treason, actually,” he said.
Frank Kendall, who served as Air Force secretary under Joe Biden, told reporter Kaitlin Collins: “This secretary… He’s doing active harm to the Department of Defense,” Kendall continued, adding that the “climate of fear that has been created is very palpable.”
Since 2025, Hegseth has fired or blocked promotions for more than 80 generals and admirals, including Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Gen. Chris Donahue, commander of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. Reports said, citing Pentagon officials, that Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll recently resigned amid clashes over Hegseth’s focus on culture-war issues.
Hegseth declared victory in the Iran war weeks after it began, but the conflict has now stretched into a seven-month campaign. Thousands of Iranians and 18 US service members have been killed, and a Republican congressman is leading a drive to impeach him.
The warm reception at Wednesday’s event marked a sharp contrast from last September’s Quantico appearance, which was greeted by stone-faced generals and admirals. Duke University professor Peter D. Feaver said of that earlier event: “The senior officers listened respectfully and quietly, making it clear by their decorum that they were nonpartisan.”
Hegseth’s remarks at Quantico last September, before the current wave of military leadership changes, had drawn notice for their partisan tone but did not include the slur that dominated coverage of this week’s address.
The White House and Department of War have been approached for comment.