In an extended phone interview with NBC News on Sunday, Trump confirmed his attendance and said he plans to deliver a message of strength, unity, and confidence to America’s top military minds.

“It’s going to be a really incredible meeting,” Trump said. “We’ll be talking about how well we’re doing militarily, how strong we are, and how well-prepared we are for anything. You know the expression ‘esprit de corps’? That’s really what this is about — morale, spirit, and pride in what we’ve built. We have some truly great people coming in, from all over the world, and I’m excited to be there with them.”

Hegseth’s invitation has drawn hundreds of admirals, generals, and senior commanders from every corner of the globe. Officials say the event will bring together America’s top brass — Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Space Force — for what is expected to be a day of briefings, networking, and strategic discussions about the future of U.S. defense.

While such meetings of military leaders do happen periodically, the scale and in-person nature of this gathering has raised eyebrows inside Washington. Many officers were given little advance notice about the agenda, which one defense official said will focus on celebrating recent military successes and laying out Hegseth’s vision for the Department of Defense moving forward.

The event will be hosted at Quantico, roughly 30 miles south of the capital, and will require tight security. Thousands of participants — from the highest-ranking flag officers to their aides and security teams — are expected to descend on the Marine Corps base.

Trump, who has frequently praised the military throughout his presidency, doubled down on his support for Hegseth’s efforts to bring the armed forces together under what he has called a “new era of American strength.”

“I love that he’s doing this,” Trump said of Hegseth’s initiative. “You act like this is some bad thing — it’s a good thing! Isn’t it great that people from across the world are coming to work with us, to hear about what we’re accomplishing? This is about pride in the job we’re doing.”

Hegseth, a former Army officer and Fox News personality, has been one of Trump’s closest allies on defense policy. Since taking over the Pentagon, he has pushed through a controversial rebranding of the Department of Defense, returning to its historic name — the “Department of War” — and has spearheaded major staffing overhauls that cut back layers of bureaucracy at the top levels of military leadership.

Tuesday’s meeting comes at a moment of heightened tension in Washington. Congress is locked in a stalemate over a government funding bill, with the September 30 deadline just days away. A shutdown could force mass furloughs of civilian federal workers, including thousands who support military operations.

Trump is scheduled to meet with congressional leaders from both parties on Monday to negotiate a last-minute deal to avoid a shutdown — meaning his message to the generals on Tuesday could double as a reassurance that the military will remain funded and mission-ready no matter what happens in Congress.

For now, Trump says his focus is on sending a positive signal to the men and women in uniform. “We’re going to show them how strong we are,” he said. “This is about unity, strength, and winning. And we are winning — more than ever before.”