WASHINGTON, May 4, 2026 — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth emphasized the importance of physical fitness, competition, and youth preparedness for military service during remarks at the White House on Tuesday, as President Donald Trump signed a proclamation restoring the Presidential Fitness Test Award for schoolchildren across the United States.
The event took place in the Oval Office and featured professional athletes, members of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, and administration officials. The proclamation reintroduces a national fitness recognition program that had been discontinued in 2012 and frames physical education as part of a broader effort to strengthen youth athletic performance nationwide.
President Trump used the event to highlight athletic traditions, upcoming national sporting events tied to America’s 250th anniversary, and his administration’s broader emphasis on sports and physical training. He introduced guests in attendance, including athletes and officials, and described the initiative as part of what he called a “golden age of athletics.”
Following Trump’s remarks, Hegseth spoke in support of restoring the fitness award, linking the policy to both education and military readiness. He described the program as something rooted in his own childhood experience with school fitness testing.
Hegseth said, “Well, fitness standards, competition, that’s what we’re all about at the War Department. So, bringing those things to education is something I remember as a kid. I mean, the Presidential Physical Fitness Award was the pinnacle event at Forest Lake Elementary School every year, and I wanted to be the best, and I wasn’t, but I worked my tail off every year to try to get there. Pull-ups, push-ups. I couldn’t do the V-Sit and reach. I could never beat that one. But I remember it because it was it was something my country clearly elevated is important. We should be in shape. We should compete. There’s winners and there’s losers, that we need to infuse into our young people. Obviously, it takes young people to run a military and as the secretary pointed out, almost 3-4s of American young people do not qualify for military service. And a lot of that has to do with their physical fitness.”
“So, we’re proud at the War Department to put this first into Department of War education activity. Our schools, 161 of them, across 30 installations. It’s going to be mandatory for the young kids of of of those service members who use those schools. And we hope that’s a pilot for all of American education. We hope the rest of America follows. We need young, strong, healthy Americans, whether you serve in the military or any other aspect of your life. And I think this presidential fitness test, Mr. President, is a great a perfect thing to restore and that sets those standards high for young people and something for them to achieve. The idea that competition is bad is the beginning of decline of a nation. Competition is critical to who we are and ensuring America stays on top.”
Hegseth’s remarks directly tied the restoration of the fitness award to national security concerns, noting that a significant share of young Americans do not currently meet military service fitness requirements. He said the Department of War intends to implement the program across its network of schools serving military families as an initial step.
According to Hegseth, the program will be mandatory in 161 Department of War schools located across 30 military installations. He described the effort as a pilot initiative intended to expand beyond military-connected students and potentially influence broader U.S. education policy.
The Presidential Fitness Test itself, first introduced in the 1950s and widely implemented in schools for decades, traditionally measured exercises such as running, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and flexibility drills. It was later replaced in 2012 by the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, which focused more on individual health goals rather than competitive scoring.
During the White House event, Trump and other officials framed the restored award as part of a broader push to encourage youth athletics and physical activity, with additional references made to national sports initiatives and upcoming international sporting events.
The administration’s move signals a renewed emphasis on standardized physical benchmarks in schools, particularly those connected to military communities, while positioning the program as a model for nationwide adoption in youth education.