The United States must 'prepare for war' Pete Hegseth tells meeting of top military officials
It comes amid reports Mr Hegseth is “crawling out of skin” with fear he may be assassinated following the murder of Charlie Kirk.
The United States must “prepare for war”, the head of the American armed forces has told a meeting of generals and top military officials.
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Speaking from Quantico on Tuesday during a hastily put-together meeting of top military officials, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declared his department’s “only mission is war making.”
It comes amid reports Mr Hegseth is “crawling out of skin” with fear he may be assassinated following the murder of Charlie Kirk.
“Good morning and welcome to the War Department,” Mr Hegseth told the crowd of top military officials.
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“Because the era of the Department of Defence is over. You see, the motto of my first platoon was ‘those who long for peace must prepare for war.’
“This is, of course, not a new idea. This crowd knows that the origin dates to the 4th century Rome and has been repeated ever since, including by our first Commander in Chief, George Washington, the first leader of the War Department.
“It captures a simple yet profound truth. To ensure peace, we must prepare for war. From this moment forward, the only mission of the newly restored Department of War is war fighting. Preparing for war and preparing to win.
“Unrelenting and uncompromising in that pursuit. Not because we want war. No one here wants war. But it's because we love peace. We love peace for our fellow citizens. They deserve peace, and they rightfully expect us to deliver it.
“Our number one job, of course, is to be strong so that we can prevent war. And in the first place, the President talks about it all the time. It's called peace through strength. And as history teaches us, the only people who actually deserve peace are those who are willing to wage war to defend it.
“That's why pacifism is so naive and dangerous. It ignores human nature and it ignores human history. Either you protect your people and your sovereignty, or you will be subservient to something or someone. It's a truth as old as time.”
Mr Hegseth’s address comes amid reports he fears for his life in the wake of the killing of hard-right activist Charlie Kirk.
“Dude is crawling out of his skin,” a source told the Daily Mail.
“There’s a manic quality about him. Or let me rephrase, an even more manic quality, which is really saying something,” another insider said.
Father-of-two Kirk was shot in the neck 20 minutes into a student-sponsored event at Utah Valley University in front of an audience of 3,000.
Kirk, who was known for holding outdoor debates on campuses across the US, was responding to a question from an audience member about mass shootings when a shot rang out.
Graphic footage shared online shows Kirk sustained a serious injury to his neck. Spectators can be seen screaming and running away after the shot was fired.
He was taken to hospital but just a few hours later President Trump announced Kirk's death on Truth Social.