Overview

• Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told senior leaders they must meet height and weight requirements and regularly pass physical training tests, denouncing what he called 'fat troops' and 'fat generals.'
• He announced a review of military standards and said 'woke garbage' has no place in today’s military, positioning the fitness push within a wider cultural overhaul.
• The address took place at Quantico to hundreds of top officers, and President Donald Trump also delivered remarks at the gathering.
• On ABC’s The View, hosts questioned Hegseth’s emphasis on fitness and criticized the optics and security of convening top brass in person, with one host citing a reported $6 million price tag.
• A cohost’s reference to a 'recruiting lull' drew pushback from right-leaning outlets, which pointed to reports of record recruitment numbers across the services.