Speaking at the Ronald Reagan National Library’s annual defense forum in Simi Valley, California, Hegseth drew parallels between the military doctrines of President Ronald Reagan and President Donald J. Trump. He underscored what he views as the current administration’s commitment to rebuilding and strengthening the U.S. armed forces.
“President Trump is hellbent on maintaining and accelerating the most powerful military the world has ever seen. The most powerful, the most lethal and American-made, the arsenal of freedom,” Hegseth said.
He added that the War Department is prioritizing fundamentals such as readiness, discipline, standards, accountability and what he called the restoration of the warrior ethos.
Emphasis on America First Principles
Hegseth reiterated the administration’s America First approach, stating that the department intends to avoid open-ended foreign entanglements while focusing on national security, sovereignty and the prosperity of U.S. citizens.
“To achieve these goals, we are leaving behind utopian idealism and replacing it with hard-nosed realism,” he said.
Hegseth’s address centered on four lines of effort: defending the U.S. homeland and its hemisphere, deterring China through strength, increasing burden sharing among allies and accelerating the American defense industrial base.
Homeland Defense and Border Security
On the first pillar, Hegseth said the department has made border security a top priority since January 20, stating that the War Department has surged forces to support the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection along the southern border.
According to Hegseth, these efforts have driven illegal border crossings “to virtually zero.” He said the department is supporting law enforcement in deporting dangerous criminals and working closely with Mexican counterparts to counter illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
He also said the department views the U.S. border as the last line of defense, which is why it is prioritizing counter-narco-terrorism operations throughout the Western Hemisphere.
“These narco-terrorists are the al-Qaida of our hemisphere, and we are hunting them with the same sophistication and precision that we hunted al-Qaida,” Hegseth said.
Approach to China: Flexible Realism
Turning to China, Hegseth described the U.S.–China relationship as stronger under President Trump and said the administration seeks stable peace, fair trade and expanded military-to-military communication aimed at preventing escalation.
He defined the U.S. approach as flexible realism that seeks a balance of power rather than domination. He said the objective is a secure Indo-Pacific where nations can trade freely, prosper economically and maintain respect for each other’s interests.
“That is the world we see in the Indo-Pacific, and that is what our approach is designed to produce,” he said.
Allies Expected to Increase Defense Contributions
Hegseth criticized earlier U.S. foreign policy frameworks for treating allies as if they were unable to provide for their own defense.
“That is patently ridiculous and insulting to our allies,” he said.
He highlighted recent commitments by NATO member states to spend 5 percent of their GDP on defense and suggested that the Trump administration intends to apply that standard among allied nations globally.
Hegseth predicted that within a few years allies will once again field combat-credible militaries backed by revitalized defense industries, driven by what he called President Trump’s visionary leadership.
Building a Rapid, Competitive Defense Industrial Base
The fourth line of effort focuses on overhauling the U.S. defense industrial base. Hegseth described this as the most consequential component of the strategy.
“Our objective is simple, if monumental. We intend to transform the acquisition system to rapidly accelerate the fielding of capabilities and focus on results,” he said.
He argued that the current system, which is dominated by prime contractors and characterized by low competition, must shift toward a more dynamic market environment that blends commercial-speed innovation with large-scale American manufacturing capacity.
Closing Message: Peace Through Strength
Hegseth closed by reaffirming the Trump administration’s commitment to peace through strength and to reestablishing strategic deterrence globally.
“We are reviving the warrior ethos. We are rebuilding our great military. And every day our warriors are reestablishing deterrence,” he said. “We owe safety, freedom and prosperity to the American people, and we will deliver.”
