Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proudly shared the news Monday that some Texas National Guard troops who didn’t meet physical fitness standards have been replaced.
Hegseth, who has said that “fat troops” and “fat generals” are unbecoming of the U.S. military, declared that “standards are back” in his department after some in the Texas National Guard were seen showing up in Illinois apparently overweight.
Standards are back at The @DeptofWar. pic.twitter.com/f2YScwhmMI
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) October 13, 2025
A photograph by the Associated Press’ Erin Hooley of the Texas troops arriving just outside Chicago, where Donald Trump has been aiming to deploy them to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, went viral.
It’s unclear if any of the troops in the photograph were removed from duty, and how many. The Texas Military Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast.
Hegseth is going to lose his mind.I’m here for it. Texas National Guard arrives in Chicago….for the food I assume. pic.twitter.com/Y9v2xI4eMF
— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) October 7, 2025
“In less than 24 hours, Texas National Guardsmen mobilized for the Federal Protection Mission,” a department spokesperson told military news website Task & Purpose over the weekend. “The speed of the response necessitated a concurrent validation process, during which we identified a small group of service members who were not in compliance and have been replaced.”
The National Guard Bureau also issued a statement last Thursday, a few days after the viral photo was taken, emphasizing that “National Guard Soldiers and Airman are required to meet service-specific height, weight and physical fitness standards at all times.”
“When mobilizing for active duty, members go through a validation process to ensure they meet those requirements,” the statement continued. “On the rare occasions when members are found not in compliance, they will not go on mission. They will be returned to their home station, and replacements who do meet standards will take their places.”
The Daily Beast reached out to the National Guard Bureau to see if the statement was in response to the viral photos.
Hegseth has made clear that unfitness in the military is undesirable. After summoning hundreds of senior military officials from all over the world to Marine Corps University at Quantico late last month, Hegseth gave himself a pat on the back: “If the Secretary of War can do regular, hard PT, so can every member of our joint force.”
Hegseth, who loves to post photos and videos of his workouts with soldiers, clarified that “hot yoga and stretching” don’t count.
“Real, hard PT, either as a unit or an individual,” does, he said.
“Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops,” he added. “Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon leading commands around the country and the world.”
The Texas troops who have remained in Illinois have thus far been prevented from deploying, after an appeals court judge last week put a temporary restraining order in place.
Judge April Perry said Thursday that she has “seen no credible evidence that there is a danger of a rebellion in the state of Illinois,” and that the Department of Homeland Security’s “perceptions of events are simply unreliable.”
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