Former President Donald Trump is calling a time-out to bring back nostalgia, reestablishing the Presidential Fitness Test from schoolyard days of yore, with a freshly penned executive order that dusts off the physical assessment for American children. Not doing this solo, Trump’s got a power squad of sports stars lined up, including Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles, as reported by NBC Philadelphia. It's a throwback move, reminiscent of efforts by former Presidents from Eisenhower to Bush, which fizzled out into something less competitive during the Obama era.
Transforming more than just gym class, Trump's health huddle intends to tackle college sports traditions, pointing fingers at the fractured transfer portal system, as a White House spokesperson emphasized efforts to reinforce physical education and "keeping men out of women's sports," according to the same NBC Philadelphia release. But let's sprint past just policy; the optics of the council are sporty too, with legends like Wayne Gretzky and Jack Nicklaus joining Barkley, not to mention figures like Roger Goodell and Mariano Rivera filling out Trump's varsity line-up.
Barkley, who took some social media heat for a friendly game of golf with Trump, responded in Saquon style via the platform X, "lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT," stressing a respect for the office rather than political chest-beating, as offered up by the athlete's post obtained by NBC Philadelphia.
The fitness fiesta will see kids tapping into yes 1-mile runs, classic sit-ups, and the bendy sit-and-reach among other activities, it’s like time-travel to a place where pull-up bars and beefy gym teachers reign supreme, and where Trump, echoed by Golf enthusiast Bryson DeChambeau during the announcement, hammered home the sentiment: "This is a wonderful tradition, and we're bringing it back," a motion corroborated by details from CBS News.
Notably, Barkley's not the only Eagle soaring onto the council; the roster includes other NFL stars like Nick Bosa and pro sports veterans highlighted by The Eagles Wire.
But the score isn't simple hero worship; critics scrutinize both Trump's political ploys and question the effectiveness of the fitness test. Kinesiology professor Laura Richardson suggests that a test alone can’t bench-press America's youths into better health; it's the start of a workout plan needing more than pep talks for real results, according to insights from the professor in a statement obtained by CBS News.
