Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushes testosterone testing, massive budget hike and military shake‑ups
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new policy requiring annual testosterone‑deficiency screening for all active‑duty and reserve service members aged 30 and older, with voluntary testing for younger troops. At the same time, he sought a $454 billion increase to the 2027 Pentagon budget, bringing the total request to nearly $1.5 trillion, and asked the Senate for an additional $67 billion in supplemental funding for the current fiscal year. Hegseth also estimated the ongoing war with Iran has cost $37.5 billion, though internal Pentagon figures put the range at $80‑100 billion.
The secretary’s tenure has been marked by senior‑military turnover. He dismissed Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to serve as Chief of Naval Operations, in February 2025 and replaced her with Admiral Daryl Caudle, who was nominated in June 2025, confirmed on July 31 and sworn in on August 25, 2025. Hegseth also removed three senior Army officers on 2 April 2026. Republican senators, including Thom Tillis, have publicly lost confidence in Hegseth over the Iran conflict and the series of firings.
In a separate cultural action, Hegseth ordered the removal of 381 books from the U.S. Naval Academy’s Nimitz Library, citing concerns over content deemed inappropriate.
Entities: Christopher Donahue · Daryl Caudle · Lisa Franchetti · Pete Hegseth · Thom Tillis
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Hegseth ordered the removal of 381 books from the U.S. Naval Academy’s Nimitz Library. (a32781b3-cf48-4b95-835b-c434c2c07c6f)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Hegseth asked the Senate for an additional $67 billion in supplemental funding for the remainder of the fiscal year. (bb6b4ef8-5427-4b6c-b4ea-308039862f65)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Hegseth demanded a $454 billion increase to the 2027 Pentagon budget, bringing the total request to nearly $1.5 trillion. (bb6b4ef8-5427-4b6c-b4ea-308039862f65)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Lisa Franchetti was removed from her post as Chief of Naval Operations by Hegseth in February 2025. (66da4294-abd9-4354-8ea4-e6efee31027c)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Hegseth estimated the Iran war has cost $37.5 billion, while internal Pentagon estimates range from $80 billion to $100 billion. (bb6b4ef8-5427-4b6c-b4ea-308039862f65)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Admiral Daryl Caudle was nominated by President Trump for Chief of Naval Operations in June 2025, confirmed by the Senate on July 31 2025, and sworn in on August 25 2025. (66da4294-abd9-4354-8ea4-e6efee31027c)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Republican senators, including Thom Tillis, publicly said they have lost confidence in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Iran conflict and recent military firings. (7eda6436-1804-4325-b3d4-08e178957f09)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans annual testosterone‑deficiency screening for active‑duty and reserve service members aged 30 and older, with voluntary testing for those under 30. (211fc40d-a593-4e59-b4d4-f1c5c2cece99)