The manosphere’s testosterone fever is coming for the troops

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I was in the middle of writing a different Optimizer column this week when I learned that Pete Hegseth is getting ready to roid out America’s armed forces.

The announcement came in an X post, because of course it did. “The High-T Department of War,” the post read. There was a two-minute, 30-second video underneath. As I hit play, my soul morphed into that meme of a screaming, crying cat.

“We have a sacred duty to maintain that advantage, which is why we must constantly look for ways to optimize your performance, your resilience, and your long-term health,” Hegseth says, addressing America’s “war fighters,” before announcing a new, mandatory program annually...

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