'Thought it was a joke': Hegseth belittled as columnist names his worst idea yet
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's new plan to test U.S. troops for low testosterone is drawing pushback from national security commentators, with one columnist calling it "ill-informed on every level and, in some ways, dangerous."
Hegseth announced Wednesday in a video posted to X captioned "The High-T Department of War" that service members age 30 and older will be screened every year for testosterone deficiency as part of their existing periodic health assessment. Troops under 30 can opt in, and those found deficient may choose testosterone replacement therapy.
"While we invest heavily in our weapon systems, platforms and gear, our most decisive tactical advantage will always be the individual warfighter," Hegseth said, framing the screening as a way to keep troops on the "leading edge of lethality."
Writing in Slate, national security columnist Fred Kaplan argued the program rests on a flawed understanding of the hormone.
"When I read on Wednesday that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will start testing U.S. service members for testosterone deficiency, I thought it was an internet joke, maybe a post from the Onion, a play on Dr. Strangelove's Brig. Gen. Jack D. Ripper ranting against fluoride as a Communist plot to sap our precious bodily fluids," he wrote.
Kaplan called the plan one of Hegseth's worst ideas.
"Hegseth has spouted a lot of rubbish in his 18 months as the Pentagon’s top civilian and the Trump administration’s keenest war hawk, but this one may top the pile: It’s ill-informed on every level and, in some ways, dangerous," he wrote.
Kaplan pointed to a Harvard Medical School summary noting that testosterone levels can "vary dramatically over time and even during the course of a day," meaning a single test may mislead. He cited a National Institutes of Health study finding that in younger men, testosterone is "positively associated with muscle mass but not with muscle strength," and an FDA warning that testosterone drugs can raise the risk of high blood pressure and blood clots.
Kaplan also argued the plan misreads modern warfare, which increasingly leans on drone operators, AI programmers and intelligence coordination over raw strength.
The announcement, part of Hegseth's broader push for stricter fitness standards and a "male standard" across the force, drew criticism from Democratic lawmakers and even mockery on CNN, in which a panel likened it to "looksmaxxing the military." Some doctors note that diagnosable testosterone deficiency affects only a small share of men.