# National Defense National defense is the organized capacity to protect the country, its people, territory, institutions, infrastructure, and lawful sovereignty. The subject includes military readiness, alliance obligations, deterrence, border and homeland missions, industrial capacity, and the strategic purposes assigned to force. ## Simple Reminders, Quotations, and Thoughts > "The most essential duty of the state—the first responsibility, frankly, of any government of any kind—is the protection of its people, is the protection of its country. This is a sacred obligation that should transcend all political and all ideological divisions." > **— Marco Rubio**, *Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism, July 16, 2026* [[reminders/National Defense/The First Responsibility of Government Is the Protection of Its People by Marco Rubio|The First Responsibility of Government Is the Protection of Its People by Marco Rubio]] > Governments maintain militaries, intelligence agencies, counterterrorism bureaus, and police forces because keeping their people safe is their first responsibility. > **Adapted from Marco Rubio**, *Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism, July 16, 2026* [[reminders/National Defense/Keeping People Safe Is Why Governments Maintain Security Institutions by Marco Rubio|Keeping People Safe Is Why Governments Maintain Security Institutions by Marco Rubio]] > Reviewing U.S. and European results, Rubio concluded: "Jihadist[s] attacks and plots in the United States are down by two-thirds since ISIS's peak. The number of people killed by jihadist terrorism in Europe dropped by roughly 97 percent from the year 2015 to the year 2024. In other words, to a very great extent, our counterterrorism strategy has worked." > **— Marco Rubio**, *Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism, July 16, 2026* [[reminders/National Defense/Western Counterterrorism Strategy Severely Diminished the Jihadist Threat by Marco Rubio|Western Counterterrorism Strategy Severely Diminished the Jihadist Threat by Marco Rubio]] > "Building on the inaugural counterterrorism law enforcement workshop we hosted in May, partners agreed to deepen information sharing, coordinate on travel restrictions, and strengthen protection of critical infrastructure, particularly transportation and energy systems, which have been repeated targets." > **— Gregory LoGerfo**, *Results from the Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism, July 2026* [[reminders/National Defense/Partners Will Share Information and Protect Transportation and Energy Systems by Gregory LoGerfo|Partners Will Share Information and Protect Transportation and Energy Systems by Gregory LoGerfo]] > "[The Kurdistan Peshmerga are] a great partner. We've relied on them, and ... the Peshmerga have sacrificed quite a bit in our shared terrorist objectives." > **— Gregory LoGerfo**, *Results from the Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism, July 2026* [[reminders/National Defense/The Peshmerga Have Sacrificed for Shared Counterterrorism Objectives by Gregory LoGerfo|The Peshmerga Have Sacrificed for Shared Counterterrorism Objectives by Gregory LoGerfo]] > “Why do the Democrats and the deep-state radicals really hate [the Trump administration]? Because we tore down their sacred cows, one by one and without apology.” > **— Pete Hegseth**, *November 5, 2026 video message, excerpted in The Saturday Wrap-Up* [[reminders/National Defense/We Tore Down Their Sacred Cows Without Apology by Pete Hegseth|We Tore Down Their Sacred Cows Without Apology by Pete Hegseth]] > “DEI is a Marxist ideology built to destroy [the United States military], so we crushed it. Diversity is not our strength; our unity is.” > **— Pete Hegseth**, *November 5, 2026 video message, excerpted in The Saturday Wrap-Up* [[reminders/National Defense/Diversity Is Not Our Strength, Our Unity Is by Pete Hegseth|Diversity Is Not Our Strength, Our Unity Is by Pete Hegseth]] > “Being trans is a mental illness incompatible with military service.” > **— Pete Hegseth**, *November 5, 2026 video message, excerpted in The Saturday Wrap-Up* [[reminders/National Defense/Being Trans Is Incompatible with Military Service by Pete Hegseth|Being Trans Is Incompatible with Military Service by Pete Hegseth]] > “Combating climate change is not a military objective.” > **— Pete Hegseth**, *November 5, 2026 video message, excerpted in The Saturday Wrap-Up* [[reminders/National Defense/Combating Climate Change Is Not a Military Objective by Pete Hegseth|Combating Climate Change Is Not a Military Objective by Pete Hegseth]] > “Our allies should share the burden, not be burdens themselves.” > **— Pete Hegseth**, *November 5, 2026 video message, excerpted in The Saturday Wrap-Up* [[reminders/National Defense/Allies Should Share the Burden, Not Become Burdens by Pete Hegseth|Allies Should Share the Burden, Not Become Burdens by Pete Hegseth]] > “Sealing the border and mass deportations are military functions.” > **— Pete Hegseth**, *November 5, 2026 video message, excerpted in The Saturday Wrap-Up* [[reminders/National Defense/Sealing the Border and Mass Deportations Are Military Functions by Pete Hegseth|Sealing the Border and Mass Deportations Are Military Functions by Pete Hegseth]] > “The next few months and years are critical for our department and our republic. This is about the president’s America First agenda. This is about our department’s peace-through-strength agenda. We will stand. We will fight. And we will defend this republic from all enemies, foreign and domestic.” > **— Pete Hegseth**, *November 5, 2026 video message, excerpted in The Saturday Wrap-Up* [[reminders/National Defense/We Will Defend This Republic from All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic by Pete Hegseth|We Will Defend This Republic from All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic by Pete Hegseth]]