Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparked outrage when he called seeing “fat troops” on the battlefield a “bad look”. However, after a viral photo of heavyset National Guard soldiers arriving in Chicago went public, the military responded by saying those who fail to meet fitness standards will be sent home and replaced.
Hegseth’s comments were made during a speech at Quantico, Virginia, where he emphasized the importance of physical fitness for troops. He has been vocal about his views on the matter, often posting videos of himself doing pushups and pull-ups alongside troops on social media.
The National Guard said that soldiers who don’t meet height, weight, and physical fitness standards will not go on mission and will be returned to their home station. The statement came after Hegseth tweeted in response to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who had criticized him for doing pushups during a speech while the state was dealing with the deployment of National Guard troops.
The deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago is being challenged in court by local Democratic leaders, who say their presence is unjustified and an abuse of federal power. The Trump administration says the troops are needed to protect immigration enforcement facilities and agents from protesters.
Source: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/10/09/national-guard-chicago-hegseth-fat-troops/86607286007