Pete Hegseth's War Against Beards Might Hint At His Own Insecurities

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to have felt obligated to honor his new title as the secretary of war by declaring war against beards. In an unprecedented meeting with top military officials at Quantico, Virginia, on September 30, 2025, Hegseth relayed a message to officials that many pundits felt could have been sufficiently communicated via email. While discussing the new military standards he was going to implement, Hegseth said, "No more beards, long hair, superficial individual expression. We're going to cut our hair, shave our beards, and adhere to standards" (via CBS News). He added, " ... the era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beardos."

Hegseth is arguably a so-called "beardo" in his own right. Search as you might, Google only offers up pictures of a baby-faced Hegseth with no beard in sight. One can't help but wonder whether the defense secretary told military officials they had to clean up their facial hair simply because he can't have any. Some more digging, however, reveals that Hegseth can indeed grow a beard — in fact, in 2018 he really wanted to keep it after he spent one holiday growing it out. Video footage of Hegseth's beard makes one understand why his superiors had him get shaved on "Fox & Friends" shortly after he debuted it. Aside from what appears to be a bald spot on his right cheek, Hegseth's stubble is grayer than his hair.

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance gave Hegseth's war against beards his seal of approval. "When I was a young United States Marine, I did not have a beard. I am now the vice president, so I get to do what I want to do," Vance said (via The Hill). "But, I think Pete's trying to implement high standards and that's a very good thing."

Pete Hegseth has racked up plenty of embarrassing moments in the Trump administration so far, and his speech at Quantico can be added to his rap sheet. At least, that's what his critics think. Aside from telling men they will be obligated to shave, Hegseth also declared war on overweight officers and made it clear that he won't necessarily be making the military a more welcoming place for women.

"It all starts with physical fitness and appearance. If the secretary of war can do regular hard PT, so can every member of our joint force," Hegseth started, clearly referring to his cringe gym battle with RFK Jr., which was a fragile masculinity showdown for the ages. "Frankly, it's tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops," Hegseth continued. "It's a bad look." As for allowing women into the military, Hegseth said they would be held to the same physical standards as men. "If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is. If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it," he argued.

Hegseth's speech evoked plenty of criticism, with an opinion piece published by MSNBC arguing that the secretary humiliated the military leaders that had gathered for the event, especially because he hinted that some of them only held their positions because they were given special treatment. Additionally, the op-ed pointed out that Hegseth's past controversies put him in no position to judge others. Other detractors, like California Governor Gavin Newsom, poked fun at Hegseth's remarks about overweight troops on X. "I guess the Commander in Chief needs to go!" Newsom penned alongside a photograph of Trump at a McDonald's.