Politics

Democrats Bizarrely Liken Hegseth’s New Readiness Measure To Sex Changes

Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok

Democrats have likened Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s new program for screening troops for testosterone deficiencies to “gender-affirming care.”

Hegseth announced on Wednesday a program that will screen warfighters 30 and older annually for testosterone deficiencies as part of their periodic health assessments. Any recommended treatment after the test is voluntary, and troops under 30 can also voluntarily get the test, Hegseth said in a Wednesday video he posted to X captioned “The High-T Department of War.”

Democrats blasted the move, with some left-wing members of Congress appearing to compare recommending testosterone treatments for soldiers to sex change procedures. Hegseth’s War Department banned openly transgender-identifying people from entering the military in 2025.

“Sounds like gender-affirming care to me,” Democratic Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth wrote on X in reply to Hegseth’s video Wednesday.

“Pete Hegseth comes out in favor of gender affirming care…” Democratic California Sen. Adam Schiff similarly wrote on the platform the same day.

“So now y’all support gender-affirming care?” wrote Democratic Pennsylvania Rep. Summer Lee, a member of the far-left “Squad.”

“Gender-affirming care” is a euphemism widely used on the left to refer to sex change procedures, including on minors.

The program will ensure war fighters have the right testosterone levels to operate at their “absolute best,” Hegseth said in the video. The secretary added that he authorized it as a way to “optimize” the performance, resilience and long-term health of the troops.

It is part of giving soldiers “the absolute best medical care in the world,” Hegseth emphasized.

“Mr. Hegseth’s recommendation that male service members take testosterone makes crystal clear that the policy banning transgender troops for taking the same medication is pure bias. This is a blatant double standard and underscores the irrationality of the ban,” Shannon Minter, the legal director for the National Center for LGBTQ Rights, told the New York Times.

Hegseth noted the science behind the naturally decreasing levels of testosterone with age. 

“This initiative, it’s not about artificial enhancement, it’s about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity, and ensuring you have the biological foundation required to sustain the fight,” the secretary said in the video.