Beefy muscles, assertiveness, ambition, dominance, wealth. These are the calling cards of a supposed “high-T man”—shorthand for high-testosterone males. And apparently, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is concerned there aren’t enough of them in the American military.
Hegseth announced on Wednesday that service members over age 30 will undergo an annual screening for their testosterone levels. Those who don’t meet the mark could be given the option to take testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
“The modern battlefield is brutal and unrelenting. It requires and demands maximum psychological and mental readiness. And by addressing these health markers early, we’re keeping you on the leading edge of lethality,” Hegseth said in a video posted to X yesterday titled “The High-T Department of War.”
The move was met with confusion and disdain. Wired called the plan a “junk science fever dream,” The New York Times said Hegseth “sought to cultivate an image as a manosphere-friendly leader,” and in an effort to roast Hegseth, many equated testosterone treatments for service members to “gender-affirming care.” On the other side, the backlash was pinned on “Hegseth Derangement Syndrome”—a play on Trump Derangement Syndrome, in which individuals have an irrational and reflexive hostility to Trump.
