Pete Hegseth’s Plan for ‘High T’ Troops Is a Junk Science Fever Dream
Pete Hegseth has proposed a controversial plan to implement mandatory testosterone screenings for US military personnel over 30. Critics and medical experts argue the plan is based on junk science and oversimplifies complex endocrine health issues.
Why it matters
The proposal highlights a growing ideological divide regarding military culture, physical standards, and the role of medical intervention in the armed forces.
He consistently argues that the US Armed Forces lowered their combat standards in order to include women. He’s staged various photo ops in which he exercises and pumps iron with service members. In his speeches, Hegseth says that the Trump administration is restoring a “warrior ethos” to its legions of “warfighters.”
Now he has a rather dubious plan to guarantee that the troops are as macho as possible: testosterone screenings and, in cases where an individual’s testosterone is judged to be deficient, voluntary hormone therapy.
“Under the supervision of our world-class medical professionals, warfighters aged 30 and older are going to be tested annually as part of their periodic health assessment,” Hegseth said in a short video posted to his official X account on Wednesday. Those younger than 30 will be able to opt in to these evaluations as well, he explained.
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