Democrat Sen. Mazie Hirono Raises Concerns Over FBI’s Physical Fitness Test

A Democrat lawmaker is expressing concern over the FBI’s new physical fitness standards, specifically calling attention to the physical differences between men and women. 

During a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, questioned FBI Director Kash Patel on the FBI’s pullups requirements for special agents.  

“You are now requiring applicants to be able to do a certain kind of pullups, which a lot of women cannot because of physiological differences,” Hirono said, before asking Patel to confirm the pullups requirement.  

“We are requiring a physical program at [Basic Field Training Course] at Quantico because FBI agents carrying guns in the field have to chase down bad guys and do really hard work,” Patel said.  

“We are requiring everybody to pass the 1811 standards of BFTC,” Patel said. “If you want to chase down a bad guy, and put him in handcuffs, you better be able to do a pullup.”  

Starting in November, the FBI’s Physical Fitness Test will make pullups the first event for all candidates instead of situps. Women are required to do at least one pullup and men are required to do two to three pullups. The approved pullup requires candidates to hang from a bar with their arms fully extended and pull themselves up until their chin is higher than the bar. Candidates are not permitted to use their legs to swing their body upward.  

“Doing one pullup is not harsh or and there are always medical exceptions to that,” Patel told Hirono.  

Social media users reacted to the exchange, pointing out that Hirono had acknowledged that physical differences exist between men and women.  

“So Hirono just ADMITTED there are physical difference between men and women??! INCREDIBLE,” conservative political commentator Nick Sortor wrote on X.  

“Sen. Mazie Hirono just admitted there’s a difference between men and women,” independent journalist Breanna Morello wrote on X. And social media user Dawn Miller responded to the exchange, writing, “The left can recognize physiological differences between males and females! I’ve been told male athletes have no advantage over female athletes. Curious, no?”  

In addition to pullups, the FBI Physical Fitness Test for field agents includes situps, a timed 300-meter sprint, pushups, and a timed 1.5-mile run.