Hegseth touts higher military physical standards and what that means for women

A FIRST ON FOX—Secretary of War Pete Hegseth”Katie Miller Podcast” In a new interview, the war chief talked about the increasing physical standards he has put in place for the military and that it’s “too bad” that members can’t meet those standards even if they’re women.

In late September, Hegseth announced that all combat personnel must meet the highest male standard to retain their positions, adding that the department should “reestablish brutal, impartial, and discreet enforcement of standards.”

The secretary of war expanded on his views on the military’s combat readiness when Katie Miller, wife of Trump’s senior White House aide Stephen Miller, asked whether “readiness includes the fact that only men should serve in combat roles.”

HEGSETH IS WORKING WITH US TROOPS IN MALAYSIA WHILE THE WAR DEPARTMENT PROMISES ‘WE WILL BE FIT, NOT FAT’

“My stance is that standards should be universally high, by which I mean men’s standards should be high. And if that excludes women, so be it,” he replied. “That’s not the intent, but that may be the effect. And that’s okay, too.”

Hegseth explained that the department was “not trying to push anyone out” but was instead adhering to the “golden rule of the War Department” that he laid out in a speech to senior military figures at Quantico in September. The secretary of war then ordered all US soldiers to watch the conversation.

“I talked about the War Department’s golden rule. And I asked the commanders to remember that in every decision they made. Do to your formation what you would do to your sons,” he recalled. “So what would you want if your son or daughter was in that detachment and they were about to deploy? Would you want diversity for diversity’s sake? Would you want gender equality for gender equality’s sake – no!”

HEGSETH STATES THE ‘HIGHEST STANDARD FOR MEN ONLY’ FOR WAR AND OTHER CHANGES. DEFENSE ‘IT’S OVER’

“No matter what, you want the absolute best and the most talent, to the highest standard possible,” Hegseth added.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth exercises with soldiers a month after announcing new physical requirements for U.S. military personnel. (@DOWResponse/X)

Following her husband’s thoughts, Jennifer Hegseth noted that female troops approached the secretary of war, thanking him for raising the military’s physical standards.

“What people don’t see is female soldiers who come up to soldiers when they’re visiting around the country and say, ‘Thank you, thank you for doing this.’ Because if you meet that standard, it has to mean something, and it dilutes everything,” she told Miller. “And so they are grateful.”

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Miller then asked the secretary of war what these high physical standards meant for male troops who were “sadly out of shape” and still serving.

“Then they must fail and fall,” he replied, before noting that the ministry was “giving everyone time” to get back into shape.

“All of these standards will be in effect on each service over a three- to six-month horizon so that they have the opportunity to make the kind of compensation that they might need to meet the standard,” Hegseth continued. “And from then on, the standard is the standard. And if you can’t meet it, you know, that’s too bad.”

Katie Miller during a dinner with Republican Senators in the State Dining Room of the White House on Friday, July 18, 2025 in Washington, DC, USA. (Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“The Katie Miller Podcast” full interview will air Tuesday night at 6pm ET. on YouTubeApple Podcasts, Spotify, Rumble and X.

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