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Pete Hegseth Torches 'Fat Generals, Low Standards, Gender Delusions' During Remarks to Military Leaders

Jeff Charles
Jeff Charles  |  September 30, 2025 10:15 AM

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gave a rousing speech to military leaders during a conference on Tuesday.

During his speech, he highlighted the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs from the military while wiping out the woke leftist influence that crept into its ranks under the Biden administration. 

“This administration has done a great deal from day one to remove the social justice, politically correct, and toxic ideological garbage that had infected our department, to rip out the politics,” Hegseth said. “No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses, no more climate change worship, no more division, distraction, or gender delusions, no more debris, said before, and we'll say again, we are done with that sh*t.”

Hegseth argued that “upholding and demanding high standards is not toxic,” but that “endangering subordinates with low standards” and “promoting people based on immutable characteristics or quotas instead of based on merit,” are examples of toxic leadership.

The secretary asserted that America’s military must be strong and lethal to protect its interests and security. “To ensure peace, we must prepare for war,” he said. “From this moment forward, the only mission of the newly restored Department of War is this: Warfighting, preparing for war, and preparing to win. Unrelenting and uncompromising in that pursuit. Not because we want war, no one here wants war, but it's because we love peace.”

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Hegseth explained that the top priority “is to be strong so that we can prevent war in the first place.”

He further emphasized that “As history teaches us, the only people who actually deserve peace are those who are willing to wage war to defend it. That’s why pacifism is so naive and dangerous.”

“Either you protect your people and your sovereignty, or you will be subservient to something or someone. It's a truth as old as time. Since waging war is so costly in blood and treasure, we owe our Republic a military that will win any war we we choose,” Hegseth added.

The secretary outlined more rigorous training standards for service members. “If the Secretary of War can do regular hard PT, so can every member of our joint force. Frankly, it's tiring to look out at combat formations or really any formation and see fat troops,” Hegseth said. “Likewise, it's completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the Halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country and the world. It's a bad look. It is bad, and it's not who we are.”

The secretary asserted that “whether you’re an airborne ranger or a chairborne ranger, a brand new private, or a four-star general, you need to meet the height and weight standards and pass your PT test.”

Each service member will be required to take a physical training test twice per year while meeting height and weight requirements, according to Hegseth.