Overview
- President Trump, who signed the reinstatement Tuesday in the Oval Office, was joined by schoolchildren, pro athletes and top officials for the announcement.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said testing will be mandatory at 161 schools on U.S. military installations as an initial step, and nationwide standards and timing have not been detailed.
- The White House tied the move to its Make America Healthy Again push led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and children later demonstrated exercises on the South Lawn.
- During the event, Trump veered off script with claims about the Iran war and repeated his false 2020 election assertions, which drew criticism as he spoke in front of kids.
- The program brings back performance benchmarks like the mile run, sit-ups and push-ups that were replaced in 2012 by a health-focused model, with right-leaning outlets hailing the revival and left-leaning outlets zeroing in on the president’s remarks and fact-checks.