Trump, conjuring an "enemy from within," says "inner cities" are "a big part of war now - a big part of war."

[bigtree]

In an unprecedented speech to top military brass on Tuesday, Trump said that American inner cities were "a big part of war now."

"It seems that the ones that are run by the radical left Democrats, what they've done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, they're very unsafe places, and we're going to straighten them out one by one," the president asserted. "And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That's a war too. It's a war from within."

"And 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," he added. "You gotta do what you gotta do because we don't want our people hurt as they stand by."

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-hegseth-training-grounds/


Trump said Tuesday major cities should serve as “training grounds of our military”—lamenting what he described as an “invasion from within”— in a speech to top military generals, escalating his threats to deploy troops to San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Trump said “we are under invasion from within” that’s “noo different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in many ways because they don’t wear uniforms,” as he said he wants the military to focus more on domestic security, including tamping down on crime in major cities and illegal immigration.

Trump said previous presidents “used the armed forces to keep domestic order and peace,” lamenting “now they say you aren’t allowed to use the military.”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/09/30/invasion-from-within-trump-tells-generals-military-needed-to-straighten-out-major-cities/


President Trump told a gathering of military leaders Tuesday they should use American cities as “training grounds” and described a federal crackdown on crime in major cities as necessary due to “a war from within.”

“They’re very unsafe places, and we’re going to straighten them out one by one,” Trump said. “And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That’s a war, too. It’s a war from within.”

“I told [Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth], we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military — National Guard, but our military, because we’re going into Chicago very soon,” Trump added. “That’s a big city with an incompetent governor.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5528730-trump-military-training-cities-crime-crackdown/


...Trump declaring war against American (Democratic) cities using the U.S. military to fight against what he called a 'war from within.'

Our communities and neighborhoods are to be used as 'training grounds' for military forces as if we were Afghanistan or Iraq.

In a normal world, there would be mass resignations from that room of generals today. Those who remain are ultimately going to be complicit in this Trump war on Americans.

Where the fuck are republicans who are the only ones with the legislative power to act to hold this president accountable?

They too are complicit in this tyranny.

[Mister Ed]

1. I don't want any of those flag officers to resign as a matter of honor...

...only to be replaced by the most thoroughly dishonorable sycophants that Trump and Hehseth can find

[intheflow]

3. I'm pretty sure that's why most are staying.

Going to try to keep the soldiers under their command as safe as possible under these lunatics.

[bigtree]

6. then how do they keep themselves from being the instruments of the 'war' Trump is declaring against U.S. cities

...and normalizing this abomination as people worry over some other thing he might do next.

Are they preventing that tyranny, or are they acquiescing to it?

Just asking for the Americans at the point of their rifles.

[meadowlander]

10. Quiet quitting?

[bigtree]

12. I think Hegseth intends to shape the leadership to his design

...no matter if they stay or go.

I have doubts they'll be allowed to carry forth with some sort of silent strike or quiet quitting because mob bosses like Hegseth and Trump, viciously paranoid, will put their lieutenants through tests of loyalty, much like today, and task them with abhorrent acts to measure their compliance with the tyranny.

[Mysterian]

2. So.... you think all the generals opposed to Trump should resign

Great plan! That'll show 'em! Leave only the Trump loyalists in charge of the military. BRILLIANT!

[bigtree]

5. do you think the generals should put aside the law and their principles

...and acquiesce to a declaration of war by their commander against Democratic cities?

What, short of resigning, will prevent them for carrying that illegal, unconstitutional mandate against American communities and neighborhoods?

[Raven123]

4. Not to worry. He will demand the Nobel Peace Prize by 5pm

[johnnyfins]

7. Do you think this little meeting today

Was designed so the admin could observe reactions?

[bigtree]

9. wouldn't surprise me

...Hegseth appears to be working for someone other than just Trump as he denigrates our top generals in public for the world to feel.

[kentuck]

8. A "war from within"..

He declared war on the American people.

[bigtree]

11. he absolutely did

...and with everything that occured preceding this meeting, no one should be sanguine or dismissive of that point.

[leftstreet]

14. +1

[LetMyPeopleVote]

13. MaddowBlog-Trump pitches generals and admirals on using U.S. cities as military 'training grounds'

Last edited Tue Sep 30, 2025, 05:43 PM - Edit history (1)

Much of the president’s speech to military leaders was stale and dull. But then he started talking about using the military against the “enemy within.”

Much of Trump’s speech to generals and admirals was stale, boring, and predictable.

But when he turned his attention to the “enemy within,” and started talking about using U.S. cities as military “training grounds,” this was a qualitatively different kind of pitch. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-09-30T16:48:25.800Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-pitches-generals-admirals-using-us-cities-military-training-grou-rcna234708

The rhetoric was mind-numbing, but it was also inappropriate: The in-person audience included several hundred highly decorated generals and admirals. There was no reason to treat these men and women as if they were little more than sycophantic partisan supporters waiting for fresh red meat.

But making matters far more serious was Trump’s pitch on using the U.S. military on American soil. NPR summarized:

President Trump defended the use of U.S. troops in American cities and told top U.S. commanders that the military would be used against the ‘enemy within.’ ... ‘This is going to be a big thing for the people in this room, because it’s the enemy from within, and we have to handle it before it gets out of control,’ Trump told those gathered for the highly unusual event at Quantico, Va. ‘It won’t get out of control once you’re involved at all.’

“The ones that are run by the radical left Democrats, what they’ve done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, they’re very unsafe places. And we’re going to straighten them out one by one. And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room,” he told military leaders. “That’s a war, too. It’s a war from within.”

Trump: "The ones that are run by radical left Democrats -- what they've done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles. They're very unsafe places & we're gonna straighten them out one by one. This is gonna be a major part for some people in this room. That's a war too. It's war from within"

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-09-30T14:13:18.668Z

As part of the same argument, the president said he’s told Hegseth that the U.S. “should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military.”

Trump: "San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles...That's a war too. It's a war from within...I told Pete, we should use some of these cities as training grounds for our military — national guard, but military. We're going into Chicago very soon."

— The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com) 2025-09-30T15:19:27.239Z

After troop deployments in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., as well as announced deployments to Memphis and Portland, Oregon, many raised concerns about the president’s willingness — and apparent eagerness — to use military force against Americans. After Trump’s speech to generals and admirals, those concerns deserve to be a whole lot louder.