Slate Daily Feed What Next | The Department of War…From Within
Oct 1, 2025
Idrees Ali, a national security correspondent for Reuters, dives into recent developments at the Pentagon and the peculiar gathering at Quantico. He discusses Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's unusual focus on military grooming and fitness alongside his controversial views on diversity and inclusion. Ali also explores the implications of Trump's remarks on using the military for domestic policing and the potential shift in U.S. military focus toward the Southern Hemisphere. The conversation highlights critical issues of trust, reporting access, and accountability within the military.
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Military Focus Shift Toward Domestic Operations
- Trump framed U.S. cities as internal battlefields and suggested using them as military training grounds.
- That rhetoric shifts priority from external threats to domestic operations and unsettles professional norms.
Limited Press Access And Theatrical Delivery
- Reuters relied on pool cameras because most journalists were not credentialed at Quantico.
- Hegseth's pacing and Fox-News-style delivery set a theatrical tone for the event.
DEI Critique Misreads Military Priorities
- Pete Hegseth attacked diversity, equity, and inclusion as distractions from warfighting.
- Reuters reporting finds that military personnel still spend most of their time training, making his critique misaligned with reality.