Senior U.S. commanders have pushed back on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s latest defense blueprint, The Washington Post reports. According to The Post, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and other top officers warned that the draft tilts heavily toward homeland threats, pares back broader planning for competition with China, and reduces emphasis on U.S. roles in Europe and Africa.
Sources familiar with the internal review told The Post that Caine delivered blunt feedback urging sustained preparation for a potential conflict with China. Some officials also described the draft as unusually political in tone, echoing Hegseth’s public criticisms of the previous administration.
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Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell refused to discuss the classified document or confirm if editors raised concerns.
What is happening at Quantico?
On Tuesday, hundreds of generals and admirals were ordered to Marine Corps Base Quantico for a rare, large-scale session with Hegseth and President Donald Trump. The summons offered little detail on the agenda, The New York Times reported.
While Trump downplayed the gathering as a routine discussion of military progress, critics and defense analysts flagged concerns about politicizing the force and the operational risk of concentrating so many senior leaders in one place.
Strategy would shift global priorities
According to The Post, Trump-appointed officials in the Pentagon are finalizing the National Defense Strategy. Draft language points to drawing down some forces from Europe and consolidating commands — steps that unsettle allies amid Russia’s war and recent intrusions into NATO airspace. While China remains in the document, critics inside the building told The Post it is framed largely around a Taiwan scenario rather than global competition.
Domestic deployments fuel internal friction
The strategy debate comes as the Trump administration redirects military resources toward domestic operations. That includes strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean, deployments to the southern border and National Guard call-ups to U.S. cities.
Over the weekend, Trump announced that U.S. troops would deploy to Portland to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations with “full force.”
Hegseth has also removed more than a dozen senior officers and pledged to cut roughly 20% of the military’s roughly 800 general and flag officer positions.
