California Governor Gavin Newsom recently took aim at President Trump, criticizing his weight during a post on social media platform X. In his message, he remarked, “I think the Chief Commander needs to go!” responding to a clip from Hegses’ speech given in Quantico, Virginia.
The post featured some flattering images of Trump from a campaign stop at a McDonald’s last October. Following this, Newsom’s office shared additional content where he poked fun at the president’s size, including an AI-generated photo showing Trump with two Big Macs, humorously implying he was overseeing fast food deliveries while not wearing a grey T-shirt.
“It’s absolutely unacceptable to see a fat commander at the head of the White House hall!” read one of the remarks.
The Hill attempted to reach the White House for a reply.
This jab comes on the heels of Hegses’ unconventional speech, where he expressed discontent with the sight of “fat generals and admirals” or overweight troops, highlighting a need for stricter fitness standards. He commented, “Frankly, it’s exhausting to see the formation of combat, or actually seeing any formations, and see the fat squad.” It’s “completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals” among Pentagon commanders, he added.
“It’s a bad look. It’s a bad thing, not who we are,” he said, further emphasizing his point.
Hegseth, who gathered police officers at a military base in Quantico to share his vision for the Department of Defense, had earlier announced that the US military would require service members to meet the highest physical fitness standards. He stated, “I do not want my son to serve with an army that is in ill health,” insisting on a uniform, gender-neutral, and elevated standard for all combat personnel.
This push for new fitness requirements is part of a broader initiative aimed at reinstating what Hegseth refers to as the military’s “warrior spirit.” Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order aimed at rebranding the Department of Defense War Bureau.
