Trump To Revive Presidential Fitness Test With New Executive Order Alongside Council Of Pro Athletes
The well-known fitness test is making a comeback.
Anyone who was born between 1960 and the early 2000s remembers showing up to gym class and being put through random drills as part of the Presidential Fitness Test. Most kids today have never heard of such a thing, and may bolt for the exits if they were told to do a bit of work in the gym, but President Donald Trump is bringing the test back to schools around the country.
A number of professional athletes will join the President on Thursday as he signs an executive order that will expand his council on sports, fitness, and nutrition. One piece of the order will be reviving the fitness test in public schools that was previously implemented from 1996 to 2012, before former President Barack Obama abandoned it during his first term in the Oval Office.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will administer the test, which will compare scores from children all across the country on various fitness challenges. Former President John F. Kennedy, Robert's uncle, was a major advocate for youth physical fitness.
Donald Trump is bringing back the Presidential Fitness Test. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The order, which the White House told CNN will address "the widespread epidemic of declining health and physical fitness," instructs the presidential council to partner with professional athletes, sports organizations, and influential figures.
Among the athletes set to join the President in the Roosevelt Room on Thursday are two-time major champion Bryson DeChambeau, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, WWE legend and current chief content officer Triple H, as well as legendary golfer Annika Sorenstam, among others.
"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," White House press secretary Karoline stated.