Pete Hegseth Launches Outlandish New Screening for U.S. Troops

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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that U.S. troops over the age of 30 will start being screened for “testosterone deficiency.”

“I’m authorizing a new screening program for testosterone deficiency for our service members, ensuring you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best, because it’s well-established science that as we age, testosterone levels naturally often drop,” he said in a video on X posted with the phrase “The High-T Department of War.”

The screenings will occur during troops’ annual health assessments, and those under 30 can volunteer to have their testosterone checked as well. If doctors recommend testosterone replacement therapy, Hegseth explained, it won’t be forced on service members, but they will have the option to receive the hormones.

“This initiative is not about artificial enhancement,” Hegseth said in the video. “It’s about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities.”

The Department of Defense said it did not have any additional details to provide. Hegseth did not say whether female service members would also be tested.

While Hegseth is supporting hormone replacement therapy to make sure troops meet his standard of masculinity, the GOP has been zealous in its campaign to ban testosterone for trans people who need gender-affirming health care. And last year, the Department of Defense instituted a new policy that banned transgender troops from serving in the military. (Several service members sued and the legal battle is ongoing.)

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When he was still a Fox News host, Hegseth also criticized the idea of women serving in combat roles, though he softened his rhetoric during his confirmation hearing. And in May, he reportedly blocked nine people from being promoted in the Navy, leaving the list of people eligible for promotion overwhelmingly white and all male.

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