On October 7, 2025, a convoy of Texas National Guard troops arrived at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Elwood, Illinois, just outside Chicago. What might have been a routine deployment quickly became a flashpoint in America’s ongoing political and cultural battles, after viral photos surfaced showing several troops who appeared overweight, igniting controversy over military readiness, political motives, and the very role of federal intervention in the nation’s cities.
The deployment itself came at breakneck speed. According to military sources cited by ABC News and Task & Purpose, the Texas Guard mobilized within 24 hours of receiving orders from the Trump administration. The mission: to protect federal officials and property at a suburban Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility that had recently seen protests and isolated acts of violence. "Few if any states have the kind of training and readiness that Texas has, which is why they could be on the ground in Chicago within 24 hours," a Texas Guard member told reporters, adding, "And no doubt that’s one of the reasons why Texas was called up."
But the rapid mobilization came at a cost. The standard screening process—which includes dental, physical, mental health, and financial exams—was so rushed that it was still underway as soldiers prepared to board flights to Chicago. As a result, a small group of the 200 soldiers deployed failed to meet fitness standards and were sent home. The Texas Military Department confirmed that three or four soldiers were replaced, not, they insisted, because of the viral photo, but as part of the ongoing screening process. The National Guard emphasized, "When mobilizing for active duty, members go through a validation process to ensure they meet requirements. On the rare occasions when members are found not in compliance, they will not go on mission."
Yet the optics of the situation—overweight troops in uniform, standing in formation—sparked a storm of criticism and mockery online. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host, seized the moment to double down on his campaign to restore what he calls a "warrior ethos" to the armed forces. In a speech to hundreds of military commanders on September 30, Hegseth declared he was tired of seeing "fat troops" who give the military "a bad look," and announced new mandates: all active-duty troops must take two physical fitness tests each year and work out daily. When news broke of the Texas Guard replacements, Hegseth posted triumphantly on social media, "Standards are back at The @DeptofWar."
The episode is just the latest in a series of moves by Hegseth and President Donald Trump to reshape the military in their image. As reported by The Associated Press and other outlets, Hegseth has ordered everything from a makeup studio in the Pentagon to new grooming rules for Army soldiers, all under the banner of discipline and readiness. Critics argue these efforts are more about stoking cultural grievances than real military reform. Janessa Goldbeck, a Marine veteran and CEO of the Vet Voice Foundation, said, "Instead of focusing on what actually improves force readiness, he continues to waste time and taxpayer dollars on He-Man culture-war theatrics."
The political stakes are high. President Trump has justified the deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago, Portland, and other Democratic-led cities by citing violent crime near federal facilities. However, city and state leaders have pushed back hard, denying any such crisis. As Oregon Governor Tina Kotek put it, "There is no insurrection in Portland, no threat to national security." Some critics, according to The Express, see the mass federalization of troops as a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate political opponents in cities unlikely to support Trump in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections.
Legal battles quickly followed. On October 9, U.S. District Judge April Perry issued a two-week restraining order against the mobilization, finding no credible evidence of a rebellion in Illinois and suggesting the show of force likely violated the 10th and 14th Amendments. A Chicago federal appeals court on October 11 allowed the troops to remain federalized but temporarily blocked their active deployment. The Trump administration has vowed to continue fighting a lawsuit filed by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and the city of Chicago, a case that could ultimately land before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The deployment has also exposed deep fissures within the Republican Party itself. Former President Barack Obama, speaking on the "WTF With Marc Maron" podcast on October 13, blasted Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to send troops to Chicago. Obama recalled being fiercely criticized by Abbott and other Republicans for routine military exercises in Texas during his own presidency—a reference to the infamous Jade Helm 15 operation that spawned wild conspiracy theories. "If I had sent in the National Guard into Texas and just said, ‘You know what, a lot of problems in Dallas, you know, a lot of crime there, and I don’t care what Governor Abbott says, I’m going to kind of take over law enforcement because I think things are out of control’ – it is mind boggling to me how Fox News would have responded," Obama said.
Governor Abbott, who authorized the deployment at Trump’s request, has defended his actions as necessary to ensure federal law enforcement can operate safely. In a statement, his spokesman said, "If the liberal governments in Obama’s hometown were protecting people and property and upholding law and order, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Public safety should be the first priority for any elected official, and President Trump is stepping up where Democrats are failing."
Yet not all conservatives are on board. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt voiced his concerns to The New York Times, saying, "Abbott and I sued the Biden administration when the shoe was on the other foot and the Biden administration was trying to force us to vaccinate all of our soldiers and force masks across the country. As a federalist believer, one governor against another governor, I don’t think that’s the right way to approach this."
Public reaction has been swift and, in some quarters, severe. Social media users began organizing an "Abbott boycott" on October 13, targeting Texas-based companies such as Tesla, Oracle, Dell, American Airlines, and others. The aim: to economically pressure Texas officials to revoke support for the deployments. One widely shared Reddit post warned, "Good luck with your next quarterly reports... We ask other countries to help your friends and family in the US with the boycott."
Meanwhile, the National Guard has reiterated its commitment to maintaining high standards, stating, "The National Guard, states, territories and District of Columbia are committed to excellence and lethality and are laser-focused on compliance and standards." Almost all National Guard soldiers are reservists with full-time civilian jobs, making the challenge of rapid mobilization—and the scrutiny that follows—even greater.
As court battles continue and political tempers flare, the episode has become a microcosm of America’s broader divisions: over the limits of federal power, the meaning of military readiness, and the ways in which partisan conflict now shapes even the most fundamental questions of public safety and national defense.
