Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is making a show of his workout routine once again.
As the U.S. teeters on the edge of a full-out war with Iran, the defense secretary is working with 20-year-olds in his old platoon, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division known as the Rakkasans.
“No better way to start a day. RAKKASAN!” Hegseth posted.
Hegseth was also seen on a spin bike.
In a separate video, Hegseth thanked the platoon for letting him work out with them.
“What an honor and privilege it was just to do. PT, a simple thing that, frankly, the rest of the world takes for granted. Frankly, for a while, too much of the military took for granted,” he told the platoon.
“There’s no reason any day shouldn’t start with good, hard. PT,” he continued.
Social media users swiftly mocked Hegseth for his bizarre video.
“I guess the whole war with Iran thing isn’t that important,” one user said.
“We need a Sec Def, not a gym bro to plan how we fight future wars,” another user commented.
Another quipped, “Everything is a photo op for the weekend tv host.”
President Donald Trump has given his arbitrary 10-15-day timeline for him to think about a strike on Iran amid ongoing nuclear talks. Trump frequently claims he will make major decisions within a two-week timeline, but rarely follows the self-imposed deadline.
Hegseth doesn’t appear to be taking the threat of war too seriously, as he was seen hanging from a tree with Dr. Oz in Florida earlier this week.
Still, his Friday workout video is nothing new for the Fox News weekend host turned leader of the U.S. military. He frequently posts videos of himself getting in on workouts with members of the military.
He was also widely mocked for posting a video of himself doing push-ups and pull-ups with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in what they call “The Pete and Bobby Challenge.”
Earlier this week, Hegseth berated his 15-year-old son for nearly ruining his publicity stunt as he attempted to bench press with the Navy.
Hegseth’s incessant displays of his fitness come as he launched a war on weight within the military. During a speech last year at Qunatico, he berated top military leaders and called it unbecoming to “see fat troops.”
“Likewise, it’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon and leading commands around the country, in the world, it’s a bad look,” he proclaimed. “It is bad, and it’s not who we are.”
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