Hegseth Summons Top Military Officers to Gather Next Week

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Sept. 25.

Photographer: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has summoned top military commanders for an unusual meeting early next week, just before the US government might shut down over a funding dispute between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats.

“The secretary of war will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a brief statement on Thursday. He did not provide a reason for the meeting or say what Hegseth planned to tell the high-ranking officers.