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‘Come-to-Jesus meeting’: Military community reacts to Hegseth’s get fit, get in line or get out speech
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War Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a blunt message to military leaders from around the globe this week: get fit, get on board with the Trump agenda or get out.
It marked the first time generals from around the world had been summoned to convene with the secretary, and many had expected closed-door announcements on trimming the general officer corps, drawing down forces in the Middle East and Europe or cutting civilian and contractor roles.
Instead, what they got was a televised address from Hegseth and President Donald Trump. The secretary pushed a populist message of handing decision-making back to the warfighter, requiring senior leadership to perform physical training in line with lower-ranking officers and bringing uniformity back to the force.
Garrett Smith, an active-duty Marine Corps reservist and CEO of defense tech firm Reveal, said the spectacle was unusual but not without precedent.
TRUMP DECLARES ‘REAWAKENING’ OF ‘WARRIOR SPIRIT,’ UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR MILITARY: ‘I HAVE YOUR BACKS’
War Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to military leaders during a meeting at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
«At a first level, at any big multinational corporation or big organization, when there’s a new boss, it’s totally reasonable to call in all your regional managers and VPs for a setting of tone, to reconfirm the agenda, to ensure alignment. So all of that makes sense,» Smith said. «But obviously, these are not normal times. This is the Trump administration. So it’s going to come with a bunch of enhanced drama and mystique and weirdness about it… the policy and the action might have been totally great, but much of the country is going to be left wondering, what was that really about?»
Even so, Smith argued, the underlying message was unmistakable: «A return to warfighting and preparation for winning wars as the priority mission of the department. There was a perception we’d strayed from that, that it had become just one mission among many. Reconfirming that this is the mission is really important — investing in a warfighting ethos.»
At a moment when the Trump administration is on alert for internal resistance to its agenda, the speech served as a reminder to commanders stationed far from Washington that their authority ultimately flows from the president.
«This is a historic come-to-Jesus meeting,» said Chad Robicheaux, a former reconnaissance Marine who deployed to Afghanistan eight times. «The message is clear: the days of divisiveness, resistance, and undermining leadership are over.»
«It was crystal clear — generals and admirals are on notice: comply and enforce these new policies and culture or be fired. No more woke leaders,» said Amber Smith, a combat veteran and advisor with the Coalition for Military Excellence.
«The topic today is about the nature of ourselves, because no plan, no program, no reform, no formation will ultimately succeed unless we have the right people and the right culture at the Department of War,» Hegseth told the group.
He emphasized that combat fitness tests would be gender-neutral and that high-level officers would need to meet standards.
«It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world. It’s a bad look. It’s not who we are,» he said. «Whether you’re an airborne Ranger or a chairborne Ranger, a brand new private or a four-star general, you need to meet the height and weight standards and pass your PT test.»
Hegseth announced that all personnel must pass physical training tests and meet weight requirements twice a year, and would be required to work out daily. «We’re not talking, like, hot yoga and stretching,» he said. «Real hard PT.»
That represented a departure from previous years, when fitness standards often fell away once officers reached higher ranks and desk-bound commands.
HEGSETH INSTATES ‘HIGHEST MALE STANDARD ONLY’ FOR COMBAT, OTHER CHANGES, DECLARING DEPT. OF DEFENSE ‘IS OVER’
Hundreds of generals were called to Quantico on a week’s notice for Hegseth’s address. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
Smith, who comes from the infantry, said the focus on standards for physical readiness was part of that shift. «If we want to present a deterring force to the world so we don’t have to go to war, we have to be ready to win the next war. That is the deterrent force we project,» he said.
At the same time, Smith acknowledged the cultural edge of Hegseth’s message. «There was an obvious and very clear anti-woke, anti-social-justice threat in there. That is unique to this administration, and it has to be a part of their message every time. That’s not a surprise given the last four or five years.»
From Trump, generals saw a preview of what is expected in the forthcoming national defense strategy: a renewed focus on homeland defense and U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere. Trump suggested crime-ridden U.S. cities could even serve as «training grounds» for troops.
«I told Pete we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military — National Guard, but military — because we’re going into Chicago very soon,» Trump said.
HEGSETH TELLS TROOPS TO RESIGN IF THEY OPPOSE HIS PLAN TO SCRAP ‘WOKE’ POLICIES AND RESTORE WARRIOR ETHOS
Hegseth’s message carried a personal edge rooted in his own military experience. A former Army National Guard officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hegseth left the service at the rank of major — well short of the general officer tier he now oversees.
That trajectory has long colored his outsider posture toward the Pentagon brass, giving him credibility with rank-and-file troops but also fueling what some see as a chip-on-the-shoulder tone toward those who climbed higher in the hierarchy.
His insistence that generals shed weight, train daily and live by the same standards as junior officers reflects both his populist instincts and his lived sense of being closer to the warfighter than the war planner.
«I can’t really imagine a scenario where a general needs to be able to run across a battlefield,» one veteran mused.
«It felt a bit theatery,» one junior officer said of the speech. «But he’s right that generals should have to meet the same standards they expect of the people they lead.»
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«The future of the military and ‘war’ department finally is starting to look better, and I’m happy all that bulls— that happened in the past was addressed, and I don’t have to deal with it,» said another.
Hegseth also said he would lift guardrails aimed at preventing bullying and hazing and «empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second-guessing.»
«No more walking on eggshells.»
He told military officers in the room that if they didn’t like his message, «then you should do the honorable thing and resign.»
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Amiram Cooper. Foto: AP 
Fotografía cedida por la embajada de Israel en Berlín que muestra al soldado israelí Hadar Goldin. Foto: EFE
Hoy se confirmó que Lior Rudaeff, israelí-argentino de 61 años, fue asesinado el 7 de octubre por los terroristas de Hamás. Su cuerpo fue secuestrado y sigue en GazaINTERNACIONAL
Maine Dem Senate hopeful backed by Bernie Sanders apologizes for Nazi-style tattoo, vows to stay in race
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Maine Democrat Graham Platner, a first-time Senate candidate backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., says he has covered up a tattoo widely recognized as a Nazi symbol after critics unearthed old social media posts and demanded he quit the race.
Platner’s campaign is facing intense scrutiny after it was revealed he once had a skull-and-crossbones tattoo resembling the Totenkopf used by Hitler’s SS paramilitary forces.
Platner said he got the tattoo in 2007 during a «night of drinking» while on leave in Croatia in the Marine Corps and claimed he did not know its historical associations at the time. He has since covered the image with another tattoo.
DELETED POSTS URGING VIOLENCE HAUNT DEMOCRATIC SENATE HOPEFUL IN MAINE RACE
In a video posted to Instagram Wednesday afternoon, Platner elaborated that the design was chosen from a flash tattoo wall while «carousing» with fellow Marines in Split, Croatia.
«We thought it looked cool,» he said.
He claimed he had «lived a life dedicated to anti-fascism, anti-racism and anti-Nazism» and was «appalled» to learn it resembled a hate symbol.
Graham Platner, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine, points to a covered tattoo that had previously been an image recognized as a Nazi symbol, during an interview Wednesday in Portland, Maine. (WGME via AP)
Platner said he had never been questioned about the tattoo during his service and passed Army background checks.
He told The Associated Press he chose to cover rather than remove the tattoo due to a lack of removal services near his home in rural Maine.
«Going to a tattoo removal place is going to take a while,» Platner said. «I wanted this thing off my body.»
In the video, Platner said he had the symbol inked over with a Celtic knot and imagery of dogs, a tribute to his family pets.
«This far more represents who I am now than even the skull and crossbones did,» he said, lifting his shirt to reveal the new tattoo.
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER DIRECTS INVESTIGATION AFTER SWASTIKA VANDALISM DISCOVERED IN DC OFFICE
U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner, D-Maine, speaks at a town hall at the Franco Center Oct. 15, in Lewiston, Maine. (Libby Kenny/Sun Journal via AP)
The controversy comes on the heels of deleted Reddit posts in which Platner appeared to mock military sexual assault victims, criticize police and make racially-charged comments about tipping.
Platner since apologized and blamed the posts on depression and PTSD after his military service in Afghanistan. He has vowed to stay in the race and has the backing of Sanders.
Jordan Wood, a Democratic rival in the primary and former chief of staff to Rep. Katie Porter, is calling on Platner to drop out.
«Graham Platner’s Reddit comments and Nazi SS Totenkopf tattoo are disqualifying and not who we are as Mainers or as Democrats,» Wood said in a statement. «With Donald Trump and his sycophants demonizing Americans, spewing hate and running roughshod over the Constitution, Democrats need to be able to condemn Trump’s actions with moral clarity. Graham Platner no longer can.»
Platner said he believes the controversy is part of his life story, not disqualifying.
U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner, D-Maine, acknowledges a large crowd during a town hall Sept. 25, in Portland, Maine. (Daryn Slover/Portland Press Herald via AP)
«I don’t look at this as a liability. I look at this as a life that I have lived, a journey that has been difficult, that has been full of struggle, that has also gotten me to where I am today,» Platner told the AP. «And I’m very proud of who I am.»
He blamed «establishment» forces for amplifying the backlash to derail his campaign.
«Every second we spend talking about a tattoo I got in the Marine Corps is a second we don’t talk about Medicare for all,» Platner said in the video.
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He is running in a packed Democratic primary against Wood and two-term Gov. Janet Mills.
GOP Sen. Susan Collins, who has held the seat for three decades, has not yet commented on the controversy.
Sanders and Collins did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Nicolás Sarkozy hizo historia, pero no por un logro político: se convirtió en el primer exjefe de Estado francés en ir a prisión desde el fin de la Segunda Guerra Mundial.
El expresidente, que gobernó Francia entre 2007 y 2012, ingresó poco antes de las 10 de la mañana a la cárcel parisina de la Santé para cumplir una condena de cinco años por asociación ilícita, tras ser encontrado culpable de financiar ilegalmente su campaña electoral de 2007 con fondos provenientes del dictador libio Muamar Gadafi.
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Minutos antes de entregarse, Sarkozy escribió en la red social X: “Esta mañana encierran a un inocente”. Denunció un “escándalo judicial” y un “viacrucis”, y aseguró: “La verdad triunfará, pero el precio a pagar habrá sido abrumador”. Nicolás Sarkozy junto a su esposa, la modelo y cantante Carla Bruni. (Foto: AFP/Julien De Rosa).
Un ingreso a prisión rodeado de polémica y apoyo
El tribunal que lo condenó en septiembre ordenó su ingreso inmediato en prisión, sin esperar el resultado del recurso presentado por su defensa. El juicio en apelación se celebrará en los próximos meses, pero la decisión ya generó un fuerte revuelo en la sociedad francesa.
Al grito de “¡Nicolas! ¡Nicolas!”, decenas de personas se acercaron para mostrarle su apoyo cuando salió de su casa en un exclusivo barrio del oeste de París rumbo a la prisión, seguido de cerca por cámaras y fotógrafos. Entre los manifestantes, algunos lloraron y otros denunciaron un “juicio político”. “¡Estamos en la Unión Soviética!”, gritó uno de ellos, mientras dos banderas francesas flameaban en la valla de seguridad. Nicolás Sarkozy pedirá la lbertad condicional por su edad, ya que tiene 70 años. (Foto: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier).
El propio Sarkozy, casado con la cantante Carla Bruni, contó al diario Le Figaro que entraría “con la cabeza alta”, acompañado por una biografía de Jesús y el libro “El Conde de Montecristo”, símbolo de los inocentes injustamente condenados.
Condiciones de detención y antecedentes históricos
Para evitar el contacto con otros presos y posibles fotos, Sarkozy ocupará probablemente una de las 15 celdas de aislamiento de la Santé, de nueve metros cuadrados cada una, según fuentes penitenciarias. Su llegada no pasó desapercibida: “¡Oh, bienvenido Sarkozy!”, gritaron algunos internos desde sus celdas. El expresidente francés Nicolás Sarkozy se despide de su espos,a la cantante y modelo Carla Bruni, antes de ir a la cárcel. (Foto REUTERS/Benoit Tessier).
Nacido el 28 de enero de 1955, Sarkozy sigue así los pasos de otros famosos reclusos de la Santé, como el venezolano Carlos “El Chacal” o el dictador panameño Manuel Noriega. Pero es el primer exjefe de Estado francés encarcelado desde Philippe Pétain, quien fue condenado tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial por colaborar con la Alemania nazi.
El pedido de libertad condicional y el impacto político
Sus abogados ya solicitaron la libertad condicional, un beneficio posible para los presos mayores de 70 años. La justicia tiene dos meses para resolver el pedido.
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“Sarko”, como lo llaman en Francia, es el primer exmandatario de un país miembro de la Unión Europea en ir a prisión. Su encarcelamiento contrasta con la imagen de “mano dura” que construyó como ministro del Interior entre 2005 y 2007, antes de llegar a la presidencia. Sarkozy saluda a policías al salir de su casa. (Foto: AFP/Julien de Rosa).
La condena se basa en que permitió que allegados suyos buscaran fondos en la Libia de Muamar al Gadafi para financiar su campaña de 2007. Aunque no se probó que el dinero se usara “en última instancia”, el tribunal determinó que sí salió de Libia y lo condenó por la “excepcional gravedad de los hechos”.
Más causas y una sociedad dividida
No es la primera vez que Sarkozy enfrenta a la justicia: ya usó una tobillera electrónica a principios de año y acumula otras dos condenas por corrupción, tráfico de influencias y financiación ilegal de campaña en 2012. Además, tiene otras causas abiertas.
Según una encuesta reciente, seis de cada diez franceses consideran “justa” su entrada en prisión. Sin embargo, sus críticas a la supuesta politización de los jueces le valieron apoyos en sectores de la derecha y la ultraderecha. Un hombre saluda a Sarkozy cerca de la cárcel de La Santé. (Foto: REUTERS/Tom Nicholson).
La fiscalía abrió una investigación por amenazas en redes sociales contra la magistrada del caso. Incluso el presidente Emmanuel Macron se vio obligado a defender la independencia judicial, aunque el viernes recibió a Sarkozy en el Palacio del Elíseo. “Era normal que, en el plano humano, recibiera a uno de mis predecesores en este contexto”, explicó Macron.
El ministro de Justicia, Gérald Darmanin, también anunció que visitará a su mentor político en prisión, aunque el fiscal general de la Corte de Casación, Rémy Heitz, advirtió que esa visita podría “atentar contra la independencia de los magistrados”.
La carta de Sarkozy, antes de ingresar a prisión
Mientras me dispongo a atravesar los muros de la prisión de la Santé, mis pensamientos se dirigen al pueblo francés de todas las condiciones y opiniones.
Quiero decirles con la fuerza inquebrantable que es mía que no es un expresidente de la República el que está siendo encerrado esta mañana, es un hombre inocente.
Seguiré denunciando este escándalo judicial, este sufrimiento que llevo soportando más de diez años. ¡He aquí un caso de financiación ilegal sin financiación! Una investigación judicial a largo plazo iniciada con base en un documento cuya falsedad ya ha sido demostrada.
No pido ninguna ventaja ni ningún favor. No debo tener lástima, porque mi voz se escucha. No debo tener lástima porque mi esposa y mis hijos están a mi lado, y mis amigos son innumerables.
Pero esta mañana, siento un profundo pesar por Francia, humillada por el afán de venganza que ha llevado el odio a un nivel desigual. No me cabe duda. La verdad triunfará. Pero el precio a pagar será desgarrador.
Francia, Nicolas Sarkozy
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