There has been a lot of preening since former TV show host Donald Trump picked Pete Hegseth, another TV show host, to be his defence secretary. First, the secretary waged a war on diversity initiatives in his department. Then he changed his department’s name from defence to ‘war’. Next, he cancelled service members’ mandate to get flu vaccines, but reversed his decision after an outbreak. Last week, Hegseth ordered annual testosterone screening for all service members aged 30 and older, regardless of gender. He claims an adequate level equals “readiness”. Those looking for prompts on masculinity from the fighting force that supplies Hollywood material for blood-pumping shows should heed doctors’ warning that incorrectly prescribed medicine to raise testosterone level could lead to infertility and other adverse consequences.
