Fact Check: Did Pete Hegseth say 'women are too emotional to lead'?
WASHINGTON, DC: Following the debates surrounding the announcement of annual testosterone screening for the troops, a rumor is circulating on social media platforms claiming that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that 'women are too emotional to lead.' The alleged remark has drawn criticism and questions about its authenticity, needing a fact-check.
Claim: Pete Hegseth said 'women are too emotional to lead'
The claim surfaced on X, according to which Hegseth stated, “Women are too emotional to lead.”
An X post that shared the claim was accompanied by a caption stating, “We need to check Pete's testosterone levels immediately. He seems to be overemotional all the time. He might secretly be an estrogenist.”
The post mocks his recent policy pushing annual testosterone screening for the troops above the age of 30 to create a "High-T Department of War."
The post, which has drawn almost a hundred thousand views as of this writing, has evoked sharp criticism against Hegseth, indicating that many believe the claim to be real.
Fact Check: Pete Hegseth did not make the exact remark
Although Hegseth has previously made sexist comments about women in combat, which were met with dissent, there is no evidence of him saying 'women are too emotional to lead.'
A search on Google for the claim yielded no recent reports by prominent news media outlets, except for his earlier comments against women in combat. If the remark was authentic, it would have been widely covered, sparking debates and criticisms.
In a podcast released in 2024, Hegseth said the military “should not have women in combat roles” and that “men in those positions are more capable.”
“It hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated,” Hegseth said on “The Shawn Ryan Show.”
He doubled down on another podcast in June that year, saying women are “life-givers, not life-takers.”
“They could be medics or helicopter pilots or whatever,” Hegseth said on “The Ben Shapiro Show.” “But they create all sorts of variables and complications that have nothing to do with being anti-women and everything to do with having the most effective military.”
Pete Hegseth introduces testosterone screening program
The claim surfaced after Hegseth announced that the Pentagon will require all service members over the age of 30 to undergo annual screening for testosterone deficiency.
The announcement was made in a video posted to X titled "High-T Department," saying, "I'm authorizing a new screening program for testosterone deficiency for our service members, ensuring you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best."
