Hegseth Backs Replacing Texas Guard Over Fitness | JQJO

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth endorsed on Monday replacing a small group of Texas National Guard troops deployed in Illinois after they failed to meet fitness standards, a move that followed social media mockery of a photo. The stance echoes remarks he made last month condemning “fat troops,” generals and admirals, and accompanies his new twice‑yearly fitness tests and new grooming standards. Separately, a judge blocked President Donald Trump’s Illinois Guard deployment for two weeks, as his efforts face legal hurdles in several cities but fewer in Washington, D.C.