Vice President JD Vance joined Navy SEALs for a grueling 90-minute beach workout Monday at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in California, taking part in running drills, rope climbs, and log-carrying exercises that left him feeling like he had been "hit by a freight train."
The Marine Corps veteran said the elite commandos went easy on him during the training session and expressed deep appreciation for America's armed forces.
"Just finished PT with the Navy SEALs for 90 minutes," Vance posted on his personal X account. "They took it easy on me and I still feel like I got hit by a freight train."
"So grateful to all of our warriors who keep us safe and keep the highest standards anywhere in the world!" he added.
The Navy SEALs are the military's premier special operations force, and Coronado is home to their famously punishing Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training program. The course includes the notorious "Hell Week," which only about 20% of candidates are estimated to complete successfully.
Vance's return to military-style training mirrors similar efforts by War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has frequently shared videos of himself working out alongside service members.
Hegseth signed a policy in August restricting most service members from wearing beards, later declaring, "no more beardos," and has mandated that troops will be "fit, not fat."
Vance has publicly praised Hegseth for enforcing "very high standards." During Monday's workout, he was the only participant pictured wearing a beard in photos posted on his official vice president X account.
"When I was a young United States Marine, I did not have a beard. I am now the vice president. So, I get to do what I want to do," Vance told reporters back in October when asked about the policy.
For security reasons, the faces of many SEALs who trained alongside the vice president were blurred in released images. The workout also comes amid the Trump administration's broader Make America Healthy Again initiative.
Vance served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007 and deployed to Iraq in 2005. He has frequently cited his time in uniform as formative to his America First approach to foreign policy.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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