“If you want to applaud, you applaud”

    by IMSLI

    48 Comments

    1. 37 sec video:

      **Met by silence at address, Trump asks for applause**

      *The military follows strict customs and courtesies, which includes showing deference and respect to the commander in chief and refraining from showing approval or disapproval of political statements*

      [https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/met-by-silence-at-address-trump-asks-for-applause/2025/09/30/fa0745bb-39b9-454b-a8c1-8ab475fb4ae9_video.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/met-by-silence-at-address-trump-asks-for-applause/2025/09/30/fa0745bb-39b9-454b-a8c1-8ab475fb4ae9_video.html)

      “Don’t laugh, don’t laugh. You’re not allowed to do that. You know what, just have a good time. And if you want to applaud, you applaud … If you don’t like what I’m saying, you can leave the room. Of course, there goes your rank, there goes your future.”

    2. Didn’t he say he’d fire them if he doesn’t like them? How would you get claps from that?

    3. You can get up and leave if you want but then there goes your rank there goes your future. (laughs) He wasn’t joking folks.

    4. He didn’t get the video he wanted of the adoring Generals, some with tears in their eyes, giving him a standing ovation. That’s the only reason this thing happened at all and it turned out about as well as his parade.

      Nobody in the military can be happy with Kegseth. Even if they agree politically the military rewards competence and discipline. Kegseth is neither competent nor disciplined.

    5. he so needed his rally crowd and was clearly uncomfortable that his zingers weren’t met with chanting and hoots…that speech was extra unhinged and humiliating for the career leaders in that room

    6. I’m being dead serious when I say it’s time for the Military to take over, take Trump and all of his cronies into custody, and hold special elections for a new president and most of the house and senate. This is not just a republican problem democrats did nothing to stop this when they had the chance. Time to wipe the slate and start over

      We need to return to a government by the people for the people. Not billionaires and corporations.

    7. You gather 800+ of the most senior and dedicated flag officers we have and you expect them to clap like trained seals? What a moron.

      Flag officers are highly educated, extremely disciplined, very dedicated, and have an immense sense of duty, honor, and integrity.

    8. Helldiver-xzoen on

      > If you don’t like what I’m saying, you can leave the room. Of course, there goes your rank, there goes your future.

      trump’s continued disrespect for the US military on full display again. “Either be sycophants for me and praise me, or I’ll destroy your life”. Basically one breath away from saying “don’t forget **I own you**”.

      And as always, he demands loyalty and respect to him, while offering none in return.

    9. Those falling in line will be seen as collaborators and even co-conspirators by the courts. It’s as if they learned nothing from the Nuremberg trials.

    10. Trump insisted, insisted, on trying to make this disaster _his_ disaster…

      He went full Jeb Bush as an unforced error.

      Without the ability to have his choice is audience his illusions are unsustainable.

      The circus peanut in chief Wheels the voice of Saruman and until he finally hears Gandalf’s laugh that power will remain unbroken.

      The question is whether the wall of silence is laughing.

    11. Since they announced this meeting I’ve known it was for one thing… to thin out non-Trump supporters. Replace anyone loyal to the constitution with MAGA loyalists. In 2020 the military refused to seize voting machines when Trump told them to. That’s not gonna happen in 2028. This military will do whatever he says.

    12. Clap for what? His inability to be an effective commander in chief??

      The fact he has to tell them to applaud, speaks volumes about what they think.
      I actually feel sorry for anyone that’s in the service, from a soldier to the highest officer in the military. They have to do as they are told by their commander in chief. Even if he is an insane criminal, then Trump is a criminal.

    13. false_goats_beard on

      Everyone is concerned they are going to be asked to attack their fellow US citizens and bc the government might be shutdown not get paid either. Definitely not a clapping situation.

    14. They really thought it was gonna be a rally with all their fans, little did they realize the audience was full of their biggest critics.

    15. Removethedicktraitor on

      In my fantasy, these admirals and generals turn against this authoritarian government and start a coup

    16. Donny gon hire some of them North Korean contractors to teach generals how to show their love properly

    17. He said “you can applaud, or you can leave if you don’t like my comments, but if you leave, you’ll be fired”. I watched it.

    18. Gotta save money but let’s fly these generals out to Virginia from all over the world for a stupid pep rally.

    19. Significant_Map5533 on

      He’s gonna fire all of them and have a bunch of unhinged hyperloyalist O-6s frocked up to 2 and 3 stars, isn’t he?

      And MAGA will cheer him along the whole time, because clearly it’s hundreds of flag officers who’ve been successfully masking their wokeness for 30+ years to get to where they are rather than a couple of misguided morons at the top who just want to burn everything down.

    20. Ok-Solution4665 on

      An O-4 weekend warrior and a shitty landlord that chickened out of serving think they know more about military leadership than every one of our 0-7+ level leaders. It would be comical if it wasn’t so pathetic.

    21. To be fair, and anyone else who is active or prior military can chime in. But you are told not to react at all. You are there because you need to be, you are told to stand in formation or sit in a military manner, left hand left knee, right hand right knew and not move.

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