Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a gathering of military recruiters at the Pentagon that many Americans are currently ineligible to serve because they are “too fat” or “too dumb.”
Hegseth made the remarks during an event recognizing the top recruiters and recruiting performance across the military services. His use of language led to reactions online as he continues to court controversy during his tenure.
“I know it’s not easy on the basic ingredients on recruiting,” Hegseth said, continuing, “Too many of our young people are too fat or too dumb, not dumb, that’s wrong. You know, we’re just not educating them properly or they’ve got criminal records, or ADHD, or all these other things.”
The defense secretary continued by pointing to multiple factors that disqualify applicants from military service, including their education level, criminal background, medical conditions, and physical fitness standards. His comments were generally about the difficulty of finding recruits to join military service.
Despite his comments, according to Defense Department figures shared at the event, the military has recorded its highest enlisted recruiting numbers in more than a decade, with several branches exceeding their annual targets. Officials said the services are averaging roughly a 104 percent completion rate against recruiting goals.
“Too fat or too stupid,” — Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth spoke about difficulties recruiting Americans into the military.
“Too many of our young people are too fat or too stupid… Not stupid — that’s the wrong word. We’re just not educating them well enough, or they have ADHD or… pic.twitter.com/6NTOfzRTQR
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) December 18, 2025
Recruiting shortfalls during the COVID-19 pandemic had previously left some branches struggling to meet their annual benchmarks. By the end of fiscal year 2024, the military reported that all services met their recruiting goals, with continued improvement projected into fiscal year 2025.
Hegseth credited recent policy shifts and messaging around military readiness for helping drive the rebound. He pointed to a renewed emphasis on combat readiness and physical standards, positioning the armed forces as a war-fighting institution focused on preparedness and discipline.
Since taking office, Hegseth has repeatedly emphasized fitness and readiness as priorities. He has spoken publicly about restoring demanding physical standards for senior leaders and has made fitness a recurring theme in speeches and appearances. In previous remarks, he has argued that military credibility depends on visible standards across all ranks; he even took an issue with facial hair and wants to revert to the clean shave standard associated with military men.
The Pentagon event also reflected on wider recruiting challenges across the federal government. Other agencies involved in national security and immigration enforcement have reported difficulty filling positions due to applicants failing medical or fitness requirements.
Hegseth’s remarks arrived amid a series of controversial choices during his tenure. Earlier this week, the Pentagon confirmed it had escalated a review involving Sen. Mark Kelly’s participation in a video advising service members on refusing unlawful orders, converting the review into a formal command investigation.
Hegseth has also garnered scrutiny over the deadly boat strikes in international waters.
Separately, defense officials have acknowledged that the Pentagon is evaluating potential changes to the structure of combatant commands. The proposals under review include consolidating certain commands and reducing the number of four-star leadership positions, though no final decisions have been announced.
At Thursday’s event, Hegseth emphasized that recruiting gains remain fragile and dependent on continued outreach and eligibility improvements. While numbers have improved, military leaders have consistently warned that a shrinking pool of qualified Americans poses long-term challenges for the all-volunteer force.
It is unclear how the Defense Department will change recruiting standards following Hegseth’s remarks, but in the meantime, no announcements have been made.
