Pete Hegseth Gives Bizarre Speech to West Point Graduates: 'You Are Not Fat' 

During his commencement speech to West Point graduates, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth explicitly told the cadets, "You are fit, not fat. You are disciplined, not distracted."

The Saturday, May 23, graduation address drew sharp national attention for breaking the traditional standard of nonpartisan military speeches.

Hegseth used the high-profile platform to heavily criticize culture-war issues, identity politics and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

“They embraced the DEI craze and tried to introduce diversity and inclusion studies,” Hegseth said, referring to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. “They hired professors who advocated for anti-American ideologies right here in these halls, but no more."

“West Point is set apart. It’s special. It’s above politics,” he continued. “Success here is based on merit. It’s how you perform that matters.”

Hegseth’s "fit, not fat" remark stems from an ongoing administration fixation on the physical appearance and weight standards of the armed forces.

He previously made headlines by summoning military leadership to Quantico and declaring that "fat generals" were a "bad look" and completely unacceptable.

During the West Point speech, he used the phrase "physical fitness" to contrast what he views as a disciplined, lethal military with what he labeled a "woke" slide in institutional standards.

Affirming the standards of the graduating cadets, the appearance-obsessed Hegseth told them, "You hold yourselves to a higher standard. You are fit, not fat. You are disciplined, not distracted."

Hegseth declared that the military's "slow slide" into political correctness and lowered standards was over. He explicitly told the new officers, "You are not an army of one, and you are certainly not an army of woke. You are an American army, an army of warriors."

In a highly publicized moment from the speech, Hegseth aimed common military messaging, stating, "Our diversity is our strength— the single dumbest phrase in military history. Diversity is not our strength. Unity is our strength." He added that there is no room for "social engineering," identity months, or pronouns on the battlefield.

Hegseth assured the graduating second lieutenants that the Pentagon and the White House would look out for them during high-stakes deployments, advising them that their hands were "untied" to prioritize lethality over likability.

His speech also drew ire from critics for using his platform to counsel the new officers to "seek God,” invoking scripture.

The speech's focus on combining military force with religious devotion aligns with ongoing public scrutiny regarding Hegseth's Christian nationalist ideology.

Hegseth is facing mounting calls from lawmakers to resign or be fired. The demands for his removal stem from a series of controversies and sweeping military purges, including congressional scrutiny over the war in Iran and backlash from his dismissal of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George.