BURSTVice President Vance said he can have a beard in his current role but that he was clean-shaven while in the military, defending Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for declaring soldiers have to shave their facial hair.
Hegseth told the U.S. military’s senior-most officers Tuesday that he no longer wants to see “fat generals and admirals” or overweight troops. He also said, “If you want a beard, you can join Special Forces. If not, then shave.”
“I didn’t see that particular comment, I thought Pete gave a hell of a speech. And a speech that really is just oriented around returning the American military to the very high standards it has had for virtually its entire history until [former President] Joe Biden came along and decided to lower standards. I think it was bad for our military and it was bad for our troops,” Vance said Wednesday at the White House about Hegseth’s comments in Quantico, Va.
“When I was a young United States Marine, I did not have a beard. I am now the vice president, so I get to do what I want to do,” Vance added. “But, I think Pete’s trying to implement high standards and that’s a very good thing.”
Vance served in the Marine Corps for four years and was deployed to the Iraq War in 2005.
Hegseth emphasized in his speech on Tuesday the need for service members to stick to strict fitness standards, declaring that every rank is required to take a physical fitness test, and meet height and weight requirements twice a year.
“Frankly, it’s tiring to look out at combat formations, or really any formation, and see fat troops,” the secretary said. “Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon leading commands around the country and the world.”