Just days ago, hundreds of America’s most senior military leaders were summoned to Quantico, Virginia, for a meeting that has since sparked fierce criticism and national debate. What was billed as a high-level briefing turned into something far more controversial — and one retired general is now speaking publicly, calling it a violation of trust and tradition.

Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, a respected commander with decades of experience, did not mince words. He blasted both President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for staging what he described as a public scolding of the military’s top officers, an act that he says violated an unwritten rule of military discipline.