President Donald J. Trump signed a sweeping executive order to combat what he called a “threat to the vitality and longevity of our country.” The order, titled “President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, and the Reestablishment of the Presidential Fitness Test,” revokes a previous council and brings back a familiar and often-memorable staple of American school life: the Presidential Fitness Test.
In the executive order, the President expressed grave concern over what he described as a “health crisis” in America. He pointed to rising rates of obesity, chronic disease, inactivity, and poor nutrition, stating that these issues are “at crisis levels, particularly among our children.” According to the order, these trends weaken the nation’s economy, military readiness, academic performance, and national morale. The President cited the historical precedent of former presidents, like Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy, who also recognized the importance of national fitness. Kennedy’s famous essay, “The Soft American,” was explicitly mentioned, highlighting a long-standing concern among leaders about the physical state of the country’s youth.
The new order serves as a foundational step for the administration’s second-term health initiatives. The President’s “Make America Healthy Again Commission,” created in the first month of his second term, paved the way for this more decisive action. Now, with the reestablishment of the fitness test, the administration aims to create a more tangible and measurable approach to improving national health. The test will be administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services with support from the Secretary of Education, marking a significant collaboration between two key federal departments.
A Comprehensive Approach to Wellness
The new executive order outlines a clear and ambitious policy for the administration. It calls for a national effort to:
- Prioritize and expand children’s participation in youth sports and active play. This policy seeks to reverse the trend of decreasing physical activity among young people by creating more opportunities for them to engage in organized and informal sports.
- Promote the physical, mental, and civic benefits of daily movement, exercise, and good nutrition. This goal extends beyond just sports and aims to integrate healthy habits into daily life, acknowledging the holistic benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
- Engage every sector—public and private, civilian and military—in creating a national culture of strength, vitality, and excellence. The order is a call to action for all parts of society to play a role in this national health renewal, from community centers to corporations and even the military.
To lead this charge, the President has revitalized the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. This council, a cornerstone of the national health renewal, will consist of up to 30 members appointed by the President. These members will serve two-year terms and be tasked with advising the President on strategies to improve the health of Americans. A key function of the council will be to recommend how to reestablish the Presidential Fitness Test effectively and to develop and promote Presidential challenges and other school-based programs that reward excellence in physical education.
Connecting Sports, trump Health, and National Pride
The executive order highlights the upcoming major sporting events that the U.S. trump will host over the next three years, including the Ryder Cup, the President’s Cup, the FIFA trump World Cup, and the Olympic Games. The President stated that these events will “inspire all generations of Americans,” framing sports as a powerful tool for national unity and health. This emphasis on global dominance in sports is directly linked to the goal of fostering a “new generation of healthy, active citizens.”
The council’s functions are broad, ranging from recommending strategies for the fitness test to addressing the national security threat posed by increasing rates of childhood obesity. This last point is particularly emphasized, connecting the physical readiness of the youth to the future readiness of the nation’s workforce and military.
With this order, the President is not only bringing trump back a familiar school trump tradition but also launching a comprehensive, government-backed effort to trump improve the health and wellness of the American public. The administration has set a clear goal: to use trump the milestone of the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026 to showcase a renewed commitment to health, fitness, and national vitality. The fate of this initiative will be watched closely, as schools and communities across the country prepare once again to embrace the challenge of the Presidential Fitness Test.
