In what’s quickly becoming a symbolic clash between cultural softness and military readiness, the hosts of The View expressed open confusion and disdain this week over Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s bold push to restore strict physical fitness standards across the U.S. military — a move unveiled during an unprecedented all-hands meeting of top brass at Marine Corps Base Quantico.
Hegseth’s directive was unequivocal: physical fitness is not optional. Speaking directly to hundreds of generals and senior officers, he announced that height, weight, and performance standards would apply to everyone — from the newest recruits to the Pentagon’s most senior flag officers. “Fat troops in formation and fat generals at the Pentagon are a thing of the past,” Hegseth said. “It’s a bad look.”
Joy Behar scoffs at Pete Hegseth's "retro vision for our armed forces" and questions "why is he obsessed with fat [service members]?"
Sunny Hostin chimes in to scoff Hegseth's obsession with "fitness" for the military. pic.twitter.com/V9GJ7XYH3a— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) September 30, 2025
The reaction from ABC’s The View was swift and incredulous. “Why is he obsessed with fat?” cohost Joy Behar asked, baffled that military fitness was being treated as a serious issue. “And fitness?” added Sunny Hostin, as though physical readiness was some fringe policy concern, not a baseline requirement for national defense.
Their confusion might be understandable — if not for the staggering numbers. According to recent data, over two-thirds of active-duty service members are considered overweight, and nearly a quarter are categorized as obese. These aren’t just numbers on a scale; they directly affect mission readiness, injury rates, and performance in combat environments.
Farah Griffin and Behar whine about Hegseth "fat shaming" generals who let themselves go and were not setting a good example to their subordinates.
Farah Griffin suggests Hegseth did this make him self "feel better" about his military service. pic.twitter.com/pkeixkPOok— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) September 30, 2025
Yet instead of grappling with those facts, the cohosts launched into a tirade, calling Hegseth’s standards “retro,” accusing him of political showmanship, and bizarrely suggesting that high physical expectations amount to “hazing.” Sara Haines even criticized the meeting’s in-person format, implying that gathering military leaders under one roof for strategic guidance somehow endangered national security — and cost too much.
Meanwhile, Alyssa Farah Griffin attempted to defend the military’s current posture, calling it the “greatest fighting force in the history of mankind” — a statement that rang oddly hollow when juxtaposed with the very real readiness concerns Hegseth addressed.
But it was Hostin who may have captured the essence of the disconnect when she said she was “befuddled” by the message. That befuddlement points to a broader cultural divide: one where elite talk show hosts balk at the idea of physical standards in the armed forces, while those responsible for national defense view them as non-negotiable.
Sunny Hostin also decries Hegseth wanting to "toughen physical standards" for America's service members and called it "really a bizarre thing." "I don't understand how that was supposed to be an uplifting message for our military," she bloviated.
Of course, she whines about… pic.twitter.com/G3nTg6POYu— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) September 30, 2025
Hegseth’s push is hardly about body-shaming or nostalgia. It’s about rebuilding a fighting force that looks and performs like the best in the world. For too long, critics say, the Pentagon has allowed softness — both physical and institutional — to creep into its ranks under the guise of inclusivity and morale. Hegseth’s address was a line in the sand.
Behar tried to pivot the conversation back to President Trump, claiming that “every day this guy is undoing something in this country that we value.” But to many Americans — especially those in uniform — what Hegseth is doing may be precisely what needs to be done: restoring the values of discipline, toughness, and accountability that once defined the U.S. military.