Outrage as Donald Trump says there are ‘two N-words and you can’t use either’

Donald Trump has sparked outrage after referencing a racial slur in his speech to top US military leaders.

On Tuesday (30 September), the US President gave a 72-minute-long speech to a group of assembled generals and admirals at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also took to the stage during the bizarre gathering, where he issued an eerie WWII warning for the attendees.

But it was Trump's remarks about the nuclear threat that caused controversy as the President made a thinly-veiled reference to a racial slur against black people in his speech.

Trump addressed threats made by Russian spokesperson Dmitry Medvedev around three months ago, telling assembled generals and admirals that he had 'moved a submarine or two over to the coast of Russia' in response.

Medvedev had previously spoken against Trump’s plans to sanction Russia to push them to accept a ceasefire deal with Ukraine, accusing him of playing ‘the ultimatum game with Russia’ over on X (formerly Twitter).

Trump addresses senior military officers (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Following Medvedev's 'highly provocative' comments, the 79-year-old wrote on Truth Social that he'd issued an order for 'two nuclear submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions', though the BBC added that it wasn't clear whether he was referring to nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines.

Referring to the word 'nuclear', Trump then said in his speech: “We can't let people throw around that word. I call it the N-word. There are two N-words, and you can’t use either of them.”

This is, of course, a reference to a violent racial slur used against black people from slavery to the Jim Crow laws to the present day.

Trump went on to describe the US nuclear arsenal in bizarre 'mine's bigger than yours' terms, saying: "Frankly, if it does get to use, we have more than anybody else. We have better. We have newer. But it's something we don't ever want to have to think about."

But it was the President's thinly-veiled reference to a term which is rooted in racist violence, which drew attention online, as

many people took to social media to share their outrage.

One wrote: "Every day I wake up it shocks me that this is really our president."

A second posted: "People really woke up & said yeah I’m go vote for him," while someone else could scarcely believe it was real, commenting: "This has to be an SNL skit."

Trump and Hegseth had summoned around 800 senior members of the US military to the Marine Corps Base for the speech, although they did not offer an explanation for their attendance.

Pete Hegseth addresses the generals and admirals (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Many of the senior figures had been stationed overseas, and the gathering of so many high-ranking officers in one place created a large security risk, even leading to speculation of war.

It turned out, however, that the President and newly rebranded Secretary of War instead wanted to talk about 'woke' in the military, ranting about issues such as climate change, diversity policies, and even calling some soldiers 'fat'.

In a bizarre moment, Trump appeared taken aback to be greeted by a room of silent generals and admirals instead of the applause and adulation he is used to at his rallies.

Addressing a silent room, the President said: "I've never walked into a room so silent before."