Kennedy Challenges Hegseth in Fitness Showdown at Pentagon

ARLINGTON, Va. — Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently visited the Department of Defense to initiate a fitness challenge with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The event, called the “Pete and Bobby challenge,” encouraged Americans to prioritize fitness.

The challenge involved completing 50 pull-ups and 100 push-ups in under five minutes, with military personnel from the Navy and Marines observing. Video footage, shared with Fox News Digital, captured the event.

“We had our big Pete and Bobby challenge today — 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups. You try to get under five minutes,” Kennedy stated while wearing casual gym attire.

The challenge aligns with Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement, which advocates for consuming whole foods instead of processed ones. Hegseth has also inspired the U.S. military to prioritize fitness and readiness.

In response to a report that two-thirds of military personnel are overweight, Hegseth tweeted, “Completely unacceptable. This is what happens when standards are IGNORED — and this is what we are changing. REAL fitness & weight standards are here. We will be FIT, not FAT.”

Hegseth competed closely, finishing just over the five-minute goal at about 5:25. “You were right behind me,” he remarked to Kennedy, who is 71 years old.

Some Marines present achieved impressive results, with a few completing the challenge in under four minutes.

“It was President Trump who inspired us to do this,” Kennedy noted in the video. “This is the beginning of our tour, encouraging Americans to get back in shape, eat better, and exercise.”

The competition led to a friendly challenge for another Cabinet member, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. Hegseth jokingly asked Duffy to join them: “Can you do it in under five minutes? 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups. What do you think?”

President Trump has praised Kennedy’s initiatives, supporting efforts to eliminate processed foods and encouraging physical activity through the MAHA movement.

Additionally, Trump reinstated fitness initiatives for youth, including the Presidential Fitness Test and the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. An executive order he signed in July reestablished these programs to motivate physical education in schools.

As Hegseth concluded, he thanked Trump for setting a fitness example, stating, “We’re going to have young men and women prepared to defend the nation. We’re doing it as a team. Join us.”