Key Takeaways:
- President Trump signed an executive order bringing back the Presidential Fitness Test, ending a decade-long hiatus.
- The program will reward physical excellence in schools, replacing the softer Obama-era alternative with performance-driven standards.
- Led by RFK Jr. and backed by pro athletes, the initiative aims to combat childhood obesity and restore America’s culture of strength and discipline.
After more than a decade on the bench, the Presidential Fitness Test is making a comeback—and this time, it means business. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday restoring the iconic program, originally launched in 1956, to promote physical fitness, discipline, and pride among America’s youth.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will lead the initiative, sounding the alarm on skyrocketing childhood obesity rates and the need to reintroduce “that spirit of competition and that commitment to nutrition and physical fitness.”
“President Trump wants every young American to have the opportunity to emphasize healthy, active lifestyles—creating a culture of strength and excellence for years to come,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The new version, run by the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, will feature updated standards but bring back the challenge: push-ups, sit-ups, sprints, and pull-ups. High-achieving students will once again earn the coveted Presidential Physical Fitness Award.
While the Obama-era version ditched competition for feel-good metrics, Trump’s approach celebrates performance, rewards effort, and honors tradition. Pro athletes including Bryson DeChambeau and Harrison Butker are backing the effort.
Bottom line? This is about building a generation that’s strong, not soft. America wins when we raise champions—not victims.