Pete Hegseth tried to lay down the law on military fitness, but his tough talk instantly backfired. His remarks that “fat troops” and “fat generals” have no place in the ranks sparked a firestorm online—one that quickly turned its focus to Donald Trump’s waistline.
It didn’t take long for the internet to turn Hegseth’s message upside down with memes that dragged Trump’s waistline, and Gavin Newsom piled on with a savage jab that left the president humiliated.
Hegseth is rolling out mandates to ensure each branch of the U.S. military is in tip-top shape at all times. On Sept. 30, he delivered remarks to top defense personnel during a meeting held at the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia.
His initiatives will require all ranks to adhere to height and weight standards and undergo physical testing twice a year. “If the secretary of war can do regular hard PT, so can every member of our joint force,” said Hegseth.
He also expects active-duty enlistees to commit to training on all workdays. The through line is clear: Those who do not fall in line have no place in the military. “Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops,” the former Army National Guardsman said.
Just so we’re clear, this is the guy who’s talking about maintaining the “highest physical standards in the armed forces.”pic.twitter.com/qKJUHZMy9j
— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) September 30, 2025
“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.”
However, Hegseth’s declaration to bolster improved physical fitness inadvertently made him and the president of the United States a target of ridicule, as the above video shows Hegseth struggling to complete a pull-up.
While Hegseth’s fitness fail drew laughs, much of the online heat quickly shifted to Trump himself, with critics zeroing in on his own fitness and fast-food habits.
“Man banned fat generals but not the Big Mac General in Chief,” quipped an X user. Among those who commented about Donald Trump was his Democratic foe Gov. Gavin Newsom. The California official retweeted a snippet of Hegseth’s speech with a photo of Trump removing his suit jacket while inside a McDonald’s.
IT'S COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE TO SEE A FAT COMMANDER IN CHIEF IN THE HALLS OF THE WHITE HOUSE! pic.twitter.com/hZtRdJG8b7
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 30, 2025
The Republican figure has been candid about his affinity for the Golden Arches’ fast food. Newsom wrote, “I guess the Commander in Chief needs to go!”
Fans quickly joked about the image on Threads.
“Wow.”
“Yes! Please get rid of man boobs.”
“Maybe he should do the honorable thing and just resign, like Hegseth told the generals to do.”
MAGA supporters argued that Trump is excluded from Hegseth’s vision of war-ready leaders. He doubled down, sharing an AI photo of an obese Trump double-fisting hamburgers as a drone dropped more bags of McDonald’s.
“He is the CIVILIAN Commander in Chief – and he is held to that standard, for fitness as President of the United States,” read one defense. Those messages were eclipsed by trolling.
I guess the Commander in Chief needs to go! https://t.co/nqssJd02pH pic.twitter.com/2EMICwdCOE
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 30, 2025
A Newsom follower tweeted, “We got the orange flubber blubber that barely made it up the escalator!” in reference to Trump’s U.N. visit, where an escalator abruptly stopped working as soon as he and first lady Melania stepped onto it.
According to the White House, Trump has a perfect bill of health, standing at 6 feet 3 and weighing 224 pounds.
