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California Governor Gavin Newsom has used Pete Hegseth’s latest decree to troll Donald Trump on social media.
On Tuesday, Secretary of War Hegseth spoke to top military brass and used his speech to slam “fat troops” and “fat generals,” announcing strict new “male-level” fitness standards.
Newsom, who has been mimicking Trump’s social media style, quickly jumped on Hegseth’s comments and used them to taunt the president.
- Pete Hegseth announced strict new male-level fitness standards requiring twice-yearly PT tests and daily intense workouts for all military ranks.
- Hegseth slammed 'fat troops' and 'fat generals,' stating that overweight military leaders present a bad image and will no longer be accepted.
- Gavin Newsom mocked Donald Trump on social media using Hegseth's remarks, posting AI images of Trump with McDonald's to imply unfitness.
Gavin Newsom mocked Donald Trump on social media
Image credits: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
“Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations — or really, any formation — and see fat troops,” Hegseth told military leaders.
“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.”
Hegseth announced that every member of U.S. military forces, at every rank, will be required to undergo a PT test twice a year, as well as meet height and weight requirements.
Members will also be required to do an intense PT every duty day.
Hegseth says it’s not a good look for our military to have overweight people commanding it
Hegseth: It is tiring to look out and see fat troops, likewise unexpected to see fat generals leading command, it is a bad look. Bad and not who we are. pic.twitter.com/GwxDgQuRkN
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 30, 2025
After Hegseth made the comments, Newsom took to social media to share a clip of the speech, accompanied by a photo of Trump in a McDonald’s.
“I guess the Commander in Chief needs to go!” Newsom wrote on his personal account.
The jibe went even further on his official press office account, which tweeted an AI-generated photo of Trump stuffing his face with McDonald’s burgers as drones dropped off more food.
“IT’S COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE TO SEE A FAT COMMANDER IN CHIEF IN THE HALLS OF THE WHITE HOUSE!” the post read.
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
During his speech in Quantico, Virginia, Hegseth said that while fitness requirement changes were not meant to stop women from serving in combat roles, that could be the outcome.
“If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it. That is not the intent, but it could be the result … It will also mean that we mean that weak men won’t qualify because we’re not playing games. This is combat. This is life or death,” Hegseth said.
He also told military leaders that he is ending “woke” culture and political correctness, saying, “We are done with that s**t.”
“The era of politically correct, overly sensitive don’t-hurt-anyone’s-feelings leadership ends right now at every level,” Hegseth added.
Hegseth said he is banning beards and ending ‘woke’ culture
Image credits: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
“No more identity months, DEI offices, dudes in dresses, no more climate change worship, no more division, distraction, or gender delusions.”
It is understood that top generals were called in from conflict zones to attend the meeting at the Marine Corps base, without any details on why they were summoned.
As well as vowing to get rid of fat soldiers and end wokeness, Hegseth told the top brass that grooming standards would be raised, meaning a ban on beards, long hair, and individual expression.
“No more beardos,” he said.
Image credits: Gavin Newsom
Hegseth further noted that there would be efforts to redefine “so-called toxic leadership, bullying, and hazing to empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second guessing.”
Trump was also present at the meeting, and he told reporters beforehand that he would sack leaders on the spot if he didn’t like them.
“I’m going to be meeting with generals and with admirals and with leaders, and if I don’t like somebody, I’m going to fire them right on the spot,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn.
When he arrived to give his speech, he told those gathered that if they didn’t like what he was saying, they could leave, “but here goes your rank and there goes your future.”
Image credits: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
After the meeting, ex-Pentagon officials slammed Trump and Hegseth for being “condescending and insulting” to top brass, which could leave them feeling alienated.
A former Biden-era defense official told the Daily Mail: “They spent tons of money to come here and talk about the direction of the department and ‘culture.’ We were already aware that they didn’t want women in the military.
“So, how is that new? Then, to add insult to injury, he told four-star generals they could quit if they didn’t like what he was saying. I am not sure how this is going to land moving forward.”
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