Smacked It Down: Trump Crushes Young Girl's Hopes to Play Volleyball by Hinting She's Too Short — 'Soccer Might Be Better'
Donald Trump questioned a young girl's volleyball abilities during an Oval Office visit.
May 5 2026, Published 4:20 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump had an unexpected coaching moment in the Oval Office, and it involved a brutally honest take on a young girl's athletic future, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The commander-in-chief didn't exactly sugarcoat his feedback, even with a child in front of him.
Oval Office Reality Check
The president asked the child about her ability to jump and reach the net.
The moment unfolded as Trump greeted a group of children inside the White House, striking up a conversation with one girl about her summer plans, per TMZ.
When she told him she plays volleyball and might try soccer, Trump immediately began sizing up her athletic ability, asking, "Can you get up high? Can you jump high?"
After the girl admitted she "can't really jump high," Trump didn't hesitate to offer his verdict, steering her away from volleyball and toward the soccer field instead.
Fitness Push Takes Center Stage
After she said she struggles to jump high, Trump suggested soccer instead.
The awkward interaction comes as Trump ramps up a broader campaign centered on youth fitness, per The New York Post.
Earlier this week, he announced the return of the Presidential Fitness Test, scrapping a program tied to former first lady Michelle Obama and her "Let's Move" initiative.
"We're bringing it back," Trump said, adding sarcastically, "Thank you, Barack, very much. Great job," referring to former president Barack Obama.
What the Presidential Fitness Test Actually Involves
The moment comes as Trump pushes to bring back the Presidential Fitness Test.
The revived Presidential Fitness Test focuses on measurable performance benchmarks, including a one-mile run, sit-ups completed within 60 seconds, and pull-ups or push-ups to test upper body strength.
Students are also evaluated on flexibility, creating a more traditional, results-driven approach compared to the previous program, which emphasized overall health and personal progress.
Officials say top-performing students will receive recognition tied to what Trump called the "gold standard of physical fitness."
"Physical fitness is everything," Trump said, adding with a laugh, "I work out so much – like about one minute a day, max, if I'm lucky."
'Sickest Nation in the World'
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The test includes a one-mile run, sit-ups, push-ups and flexibility assessments.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pointed to long-standing concerns about American fitness, noting his uncle, John F. Kennedy, pushed the test decades ago after warning the country was becoming "soft."
"He said that there's a national security issue. It threatens our economy. We need a vigorous population... if we're going to continue to exercise leadership around the world," RFK Jr. explained.
He added that bringing the test back – along with awards for top performers – is meant to restore competition in schools, explaining, "We need to be competitive with each other. We need to teach people how to win and how to lose and how to process victory and defeat."
RFK Jr. also painted a grim picture of current health trends, saying, "We're now the sickest nation in the world... 70% of adults are obese or overweight, and 77% of our children cannot qualify for military service," calling the statistics "an eye opener for all of us" while praising Trump's push to reinstate the program.
