Hertling went on to say that the rare meeting serves as a “collective reminder” of the military’s culture, which he said transcends politics. In his speech, Trump also discussed his desire to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, tariffs and the recently unveiled peace plan for the Israel-Hamas conflict. He also announced that his administration is committed to spending over $1 trillion on the U.S. military in 2026. “If the secretary of war could do regular, hard [physical training], so could every member of our joint force. Frankly it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops,” Hegseth said.