Trump highlights homeland security as 'first, most important' priority for US military

US President Donald Trump underscored Tuesday that safeguarding the homeland is the "first and most important" priority for the US military, following a report that a new Pentagon defense strategy draft prioritizes protecting the homeland.

Trump made the remarks at a meeting of US military commanders at a Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia amid concerns that should the United States focus more on homeland security in an inward-looking approach, it could affect America's security commitments to allies and partners, including South Korea.

"Together with many of you in the room, we've brought back the fundamental principle that defending the homeland is the military's first and most important priority," the president said.

He pointed out the importance of homeland security as he underlined his administration's efforts for border security, claiming that the US is "under invasion from within."

"Only in recent decades that politicians somehow come to believe that our job is to police the far reaches of Kenya and Somalia while America is under invasion from within," he said.

"We are under invasion from within. No different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in many ways because they don't wear uniforms. At least when they are wearing a uniform, you can take them out. These people don't have uniforms ... but we are stopping it very quickly."

He added that after spending trillions of dollars defending the "borders of foreign countries," the US is defending its own borders "from now on."

Earlier this month, Politico, a US news outlet, reported that the draft of the Pentagon's National Defense Strategy prioritizes defending the US homeland and the Western Hemisphere, putting domestic and regional missions above countering threats from China and Russia.

If it is put into practice, it would mark a major move away from the Pentagon's yearslong focus on deterring the "pacing threat" from an increasingly assertive China.

The report raised anew concerns about America's security commitment to South Korea in the midst of North Korea's advancing nuclear and ballistic missile threats.

During Tuesday's address, Trump highlighted a plan to "upgrade" the US' nuclear capabilities, vowing to make the US military "stronger, tougher, faster, fiercer and most powerful than it has ever been before."

"I rebuilt our nuclear as you probably know, but we will upgrade that also, and just hope that we never have to use it," he said. "We have to hope we never have to use it, because the power of that is so incredible."

He noted that the US is 25 years ahead of Russia and China in terms of submarine capabilities.

"Russia is actually second in submarines. China's third," he said. "But you know, they're coming up ... They're way too lower in nuclear too, but in five years, they'll be equal."

Ahead of his speech, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to ensure the "highest male standard" in combat positions, stressing that the "era of the politically correct, overly sensitive 'don't hurt anyone's feelings' leadership" ends "right now.

"At every level, either you can meet the standard, either you can do the job, either you are disciplined, fit and trained, or you are out."

Hegseth criticized "foolish and reckless political leaders" for having set the "wrong compass" for the military.

"We lost our way. We became the 'woke' department, but not any more," he said, referring to an umbrella term for progressive values and actions that the Trump administration has used to criticize the preceding administration's policies.

The Pentagon chief said that at his direction, every joint force member at every rank is required to take a physical training test twice a year and meet height and weight requirements twice a year.

"Also today, at my direction, every warrior across our joint force is required to do PT every duty day," he said. (Yonhap)