Trump Signs Proclamation to Revive Presidential Youth Fitness Test Program

President Trump signed a proclamation on May 5, 2026, restoring the Presidential Fitness Test Award, a competitive youth fitness program that had been replaced during the Obama administration. The signing ceremony took place in the Oval Office, where Trump was flanked by professional athletes, administration officials, and children.

The 79-year-old president, an avid golfer, engaged in a playful exchange with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Kennedy listed physically fit officials including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon, stating, 'This Cabinet could've done it.

When Trump interjected, 'What about me?

The exchange highlighted Trump's golfing habits, which he has previously described as a form of exercise. In a 2020 social media post, Trump wrote, 'I play VERY fast, get a lot of work done on the golf course, and also get a ‘tiny’ bit of exercise. In a 2018 interview, Trump stated, 'I get exercise.

That same year, then-White House physician Ronny Jackson told reporters that Trump was more enthusiastic about the diet part than the exercise part. The Presidential Physical Fitness Test, scrapped in 2013, was replaced with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program as part of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.

The test includes running one mile, performing as many sit-ups as possible in 60 seconds, executing pull-ups or push-ups for as long as possible, and undergoing a flexibility test.

Trump signed an executive order reestablishing the presidential fitness test in public schools in July 2025. He also signed an executive order reestablishing the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition in 2025. Attendees at the May 5, 2026, ceremony included golfers Bryson DeChambeau and Gary Player, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Amani Oruwariye, MLB pitcher Noah Syndergaard, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Housing Secretary Scott Turner, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon. DeChambeau won golf’s US Open in 2020 and 2024. Kennedy noted that 5% of children were obese previously, now 20%; 70% of adults are obese or overweight; and 77% of children cannot qualify for military service.

More than 21% of Americans ages 2 to 19 were classified as obese between 2021 and 2023, while 7% of American youths had severe obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The event on May 5, 2026, extended to activities on the South Lawn with children, Washington Nationals’ Racing Presidents mascots, pull-up bars, soccer, putting, jumping jacks, and a race won by Abraham Lincoln.

Trump joined in putting on the presidential green, high-fiving the Racing Presidents, and observing children perform jumping jacks and attempt pull-ups.

Kennedy recalled his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, who helped popularize the test after expressing concern that Americans were becoming soft, viewing it as a national security issue. The restoration aligns with Trump's broader push to address youth fitness, reversing changes made under the Obama administration that shifted focus from competitive performance to overall health.