Hegseth received loud applause as he began his remarks to thousands of Sailors at the Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval station with over 82,000 active-duty military on base and over 29,000 civilians.
Calling the crowd “the absolute best of America,” the War secretary said, “Looking out at all of you — I know you know why the President always says we have the strongest, most powerful, most lethal, most ready military on the planet, and he’s going to make sure we keep it that way.”
“This is the perfect way to mark 250 years of the United States Navy. You know, President Trump has made our mission clear; America first, and peace through strength with common sense at every turn,” Hegseth continued, before emphasizing the name change from Department of Defense to Department of War.
“At the War Department — it is the War Department — we’re committed to that mission of peace through strength. And for the Navy, that means more Sailors, more subs, more ships and more munitions for all of them. Navy and the Marine Corps embody the resilience of our country. Nobody, nobody in the world does it better than the United States Navy,” he said to more cheers.
Hegseth went on to blast DEI mantra like “diversity is our strength,” instead highlighting the common mission that unites all service members.
“You’re not civilians, you are different — Sailors, Seals, Marines. You were set apart for a distinct purpose. Your diversity is not your strength,” he told the crowd. “Your strength is your unity of purpose, your shared mission, your love of country. Generation after generation, battle after battle, ship after ship, Sailor after Sailor, you have set the tone.”
He continued on to reference John Paul Jones, the Scottish-born naval officer who is also known as the “Father of the American Navy” for his role in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War:
The story began with John Paul Jones when he declared, “I have not yet begun to fight.” Today we have a commander-in-chief who fights for all of you and fights for our country every single day.
A commander in chief who guarantees that you, the war fighters, have everything you need on the high seas to deter our enemies, and if necessary, win overwhelmingly. We have a president who appreciates your dedication.
He appreciates your service, your sacrifice, and that of your family as well. And as I always tell every service member, every Sailor I see, he has your back.
Hegseth concluded his speech with a message of gratitude to the Sailors from the Pentagon.
“So war fighters, on behalf of everyone at the Department of War, thank you. Thank you for your commitment to America’s Navy. You stand the watch 250 years later, God bless you, and may God bless our great Republic. Godspeed,” the secretary said, to more loud applause.
Hegseth’s speech was immediately followed by short remarks from first lady Melania Trump, then a 45-minute speech from President Trump himself.
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.
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