Trump Proposes Using US Cities As Military ‘Training Grounds’

Trump has proposed turning American cities into military “training grounds” for troops

US President Donald Trump has sparked fresh controversy after declaring his intention to use American cities as “training grounds” for the military, describing urban unrest as the “enemy from within.”

The remarks came during an unusually high-profile gathering at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, where hundreds of senior generals, admirals, and defence officials from across the world were summoned at short notice to hear from Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Trump told the assembled leaders that military involvement would prevent urban disorder from spiralling. “It won’t get out of control once you’re involved,” he said, citing recent deployments of the National Guard to Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Portland to crack down on crime and assist immigration enforcement.

He reiterated his criticism of Democratic-led cities such as San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, labelling them “very unsafe places” that he intended to “straighten out one by one.” Trump characterised the challenge as “a war from within,” linking the issue of internal security to immigration enforcement and border control.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker condemned the president’s stance, accusing him of using the military and immigration authorities to “invade and disrupt” American cities. “Our troops and our nation deserve better than you acting as a petty tyrant,” he wrote on X.

Before Trump’s address, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined a sweeping cultural shift at the Pentagon, declaring an end to what he termed “woke culture.” He announced that all combatants would be required to meet “the highest male standard” in fitness tests, acknowledging that the move could exclude some women from service.

“Standards must be uniform, gender-neutral, and high,” Hegseth said, insisting that the changes would restore a stronger “warrior ethos.” He also vowed to end beard exemptions, anonymous complaints procedures, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes, saying they had weakened military readiness.

The reforms drew sharp criticism. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a military veteran, warned the new policies would damage recruitment across the board. “I don’t know folks who want to serve in a military that’s being used for political theatre,” she told the BBC, accusing Hegseth of trying to push women and minorities out of the ranks.