Trump, Hegseth put on embarrassing show before a distinguished military audience

Military Leadership & Strategy - The Secretary of Defense advocated for prioritizing intimidation and lethality over law, suggesting the US military should "untie the hands of our war fighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt, and kill the enemies of our country" [3] - The Secretary of Defense promoted his book, arguing the US military should ignore the Geneva Conventions and international law, advocating for winning wars "according to our own rules" [1] - The President suggested using US cities as training grounds for the military, raising concerns about the potential use of the military against American citizens [9][10] Political & Operational Concerns - A meeting was convened, gathering top military leaders from around the world for a 45-minute political speech, a move considered unusual and potentially disruptive to ongoing operations [12][13] - Concerns were raised that the timing of the meeting was poor, coinciding with Russian air activity, a cyber attack, and the eve of a government shutdown [14] - The Secretary of Defense's comments on rules of engagement were seen as distorting their importance in protecting non-combatants and ensuring responsible command [18][20]