Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's top secret meeting requiring top generals and flag officers to report to Quantico next week is being likened to a move fit for a king.
A close source hinted that the action will unfurl on Tuesday afternoon, leading one defense official to compare Hegseth to King Arthur and his Knights of the roundtable.
'He is playing mind games and wants to let them know who is boss. There is nothing big going on. They will just go over future strategies, posturing and policies. After the meeting, you might even report on some firings that will happen,' the defense official told the Daily Mail.
The secretive session has drawn concerns that pulling officers to one meeting could make the US vulnerable to a security threat.
'I think it is very concerning that you are pulling every single general and flag officer back to Quantico… that is a lot of people to pull from their duty stations,' the former official said. 'It would be very rare to have the combatant and deputy commander come into town and leave your station to be in town for whatever this is.'
A source close to Hegseth argued the Pentagon has taken safety precautions into account to ensure that their operations, like military bases, were not compromised.
'We hand–picked who would be in attendance, but nobody is reporting that,' the source close to Hegseth explained.
The purpose of the meeting remains undisclosed, cloaked in secrecy even among those typically in the know, two defense sources tell the Daily Mail
However, a source close to Hegseth argues that they took safety precautions when planning the meeting, stating that the defense secretary instructed leaders to maximize participation while also ensuring that their operations were not compromised
Triggering a storm of reaction, Hegseth's decision to pull top generals and flag officers from their posts and summon them to Quantico has drawn sharp criticism from former senior military leaders
The purpose of the meeting remains undisclosed, cloaked in secrecy even among those typically in the know, with the former Pentagon official assessing it 'could be anything from a push–up contest to a meeting on national security.'
The official drew on their own experience in military logistics and chain of command, saying the disarray is more than symbolic –– it's potentially dangerous.
'To me, it shows how out of depth Hegseth is,' the official added. 'He doesn't understand how the military works. It runs on structure, and that is what makes it work. To just be like, everyone is coming into town now, and on the day of the shutdown, it is poor messaging and poor planning on Hegseth's part.'
The former Pentagon leader raised a chilling hypothetical: 'Can you imagine if your place of work pulled all of your senior leadership on the same day? If I were China, guess what I would take advantage of?'
Trump last night responded to a reporter's question about the Secretary of War's invitation to military leaders from around the world. Pictured: The president with Hegseth in August
Amid the confusion, one thing is clear: the meeting is shrouded in extraordinary secrecy, even by Washington standards
A source close to Hegseth says the mystery clouding the meeting is a deliberate move, but would not elaborate
Former defense officials told the Daily Mail that this episode is just the latest in a string of missteps they believe have exposed what they view as Hegseth's unsuitability for a leadership role of this magnitude.
'It just shows he is so out of his depth for his position. To me, Hegseth embarrassed Trump,' one said. 'Spin it all day if you want. The signal messaging operation was ongoing, and he provided details about the operation, putting those pilots at risk. That is one misstep after another. How does this make the president look good?'
However, at least in public, the president threw his support behind Hegseth.
Last night in the Oval Office, Trump responded to a reporter's question about the Secretary of War's invitation to military leaders from around the world.
'I know, I love it. I think it's great. Let him be friendly with the generals and admirals from all over the world. Is there something wrong with it? Why is that such a big deal?'
He added, 'I will be there if they want me.'
A source close to Hegseth says the mystery clouding the meeting is a deliberate move, in line with the president's love of drama.
'This is a planned strategy to leave it vague,' they added. 'The mystique is part of the goal.'
The Daily Mail reached out to the Pentagon for comment.