Ben Rhodes calls the attendance criteria "just really weird"
Ben RhodesFormer deputy national security adviser and foreign-policy commentator, as a guest on MS NOW's "On the Line with Alicia Menendez"
Ben Rhodes, a former deputy national security adviser, said on MS NOW that Hegseth's focus on a waist-to-height requirement for attendees was "just really weird" and "a ridiculous way for him to be spending time and attention" during the Iran war.
“And let's just be honest, Alicia, it's just really weird.”
Original video
Where this statement fits
Were the Pentagon's Fitness and Grooming Requirements for Hegseth's Speech Appropriate?
Ahead of a "State of the Force" address scheduled for September 30, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emailed U.S. Army commanders asking them to nominate service members who meet the Army's waist-to-height ratio and fitness-test standards, along with "impeccable grooming and uniform standards (no exception)" and other performance criteria, for the chance to attend and join him for a workout, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The Pentagon declined to comment on the request when contacted by multiple outlets; the directive drew public criticism and mockery from several commentators.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
The outlet's own upload of the broadcast segment, with Pentagon reporter Priya Sridhar and Ben Rhodes as guests. Speaker attribution rests on host Alicia Menendez addressing Rhodes by name immediately before his answer and on the on-screen panel. Quotations transcribed from the segment audio.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Host Alicia Menendez had cited the Wall Street Journal report that commanders were asked to nominate troops who meet strict waist-to-height requirements and impeccable grooming and uniform standards, and asked Rhodes about Republican pressure on Hegseth.
After the quotation
Rhodes said the appearance focus was also "a ridiculous way for him to be spending time and attention," and, in between, criticized Hegseth for purging minorities and women from the upper ranks of the military and applying ideological litmus tests to promotions.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Rhodes calls the focus on them "just really weird" and "a ridiculous way for him to be spending time and attention", which rejects both the criteria and the priority they reflect. The closest competing label, “Challenged the characterization”, loses because he assesses the merits rather than disputing how the criteria are described.
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- People and groups discussed
- Pete Hegseth
More from this case
Read the full caseHegseth defends enforcing standards
“Telling someone to get in shape, or shave, or fix their uniform, or start busting their ass - that's not discrimination. That's leadership.”Read statement
Pentagon press office offers no comment on the speech attendee criteria
United States Department of Defense
“Nothing to offer you on this.”Read statement
Jen Psaki calls the attendance criteria "casting call requirements" and questions Hegseth's priorities
“Way to focus in the middle of a war on things that really matter right now.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Ben Rhodes calls the attendance criteria "just really weird"". First published: 2026-09-24. Last updated: 2026-09-24. https://disputeindex.com/events/2164-ben-rhodes-a-former-deputy-national-security-adviser