Pete Hegseth & RFK Jr.'s Cringe Gym Battle Was A Fragile Masculinity Showdown
The White House has become a bit of a spectacle since President Donald Trump retook office, so the fact that two of his Cabinet members engaged in a fragile masculinity showdown in the gym shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Neither should the fact that Fox News covered it.
Trump has brought back the Presidential Fitness Test (ironic, given the glaringly obvious signs that the president's health seems to be in decline), and Pete Hegseth and RFK Jr. took it to the next level when they paid a visit to the gym to compete in what they dubbed the "Big, Big Pete and Bobby Challenge." Per the clip of the gym visit shared to Fox News' Instagram, Kennedy explained that it consists of "50 pull-ups [and] 100 push-ups" which needs to be completed in "under five minutes." As far as preserving one's ego goes, Hegseth lost the battle against Kennedy during their showdown. The secretary of defense's pull-ups likely would not have passed the Presidential Fitness Test and can be added to the list of Hegseth's most embarrassing moments in the Trump administration (so far). Kennedy's form was better and more precise, and even though Hegseth managed to finish before the health secretary, he also didn't manage to complete the workout in under five minutes.
The Cabinet members also threw some shade at Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, saying they invited him to the showdown but he never showed. It seems Duffy was the one Hegseth really wanted to beat — not Kennedy — and it may or may not have something to do with the fact that Duffy previously criticized the former Fox News host.
Hegseth's reputation has taken a bit of a blow since he became defense secretary
Donald Trump has repeatedly put his fragile ego on display, and it seems Pete Hegseth's is equally frail. Aside from feeling the need to compare his endurance to RFK Jr.'s in the gym, the secretary of defense is reportedly desperate for Trump's approval.
After the Signalgate scandal, where Hegseth's team accidentally added a journalist to a group chat where they discussed war plans in Yemen, the former Fox News host has apparently been trying his best to cement himself as a winner in Trump's eyes. In April 2025, two unnamed U.S. officials who spoke to NBC News claimed that Hegseth is "insecure" when it comes to his job and that he was engaging in "erratic" behavior. It does not help that Secretary of Transportation and Hegseth's former colleague at Fox News, Sean Duffy, also seemingly dealt a blow to the defense secretary's ego and confidence.
In May 2025, Duffy blamed the Pentagon — and indirectly, Hegseth — for delays that occurred at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, asserting that some officials were using helicopters for personal trips. "Who do these generals think they are, that they have to take helicopters to go to meetings?" Duffy questioned (via the Independent). "The DOD has promised radical transparency; they should tell us who is qualified to take a helicopter out of the Pentagon. I don't know, but they have to tell us." He was clearly referring to Hegseth, and after some media chatter tried to mend fences. It's unclear if Hegseth forgave Duffy for this callout, but perhaps he wants to settle things at the gym.