Kinzinger Comments On Hegseth
In a video that ricocheted across social media yesterday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were filmed knocking out pull-ups side by side—an unexpected show of old-school masculinity from two members of President Trump’s cabinet. The moment seemed harmless enough, even motivational, until former Congressman and perpetual CNN auditionee Adam Kinzinger decided to make it weird.
I teamed up with @SecDef Hegseth for the "Pete & Bobby Challenge" — 50 pull-ups, 100 push-ups. This is the start of a nationwide push to get Americans fit again. We’re calling on our friend @SecDuffy to take the challenge. pic.twitter.com/TTlv9VvkCe
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) August 19, 2025
Appearing on The Bulwark podcast, Kinzinger mocked Hegseth’s form, scoffing that he did his pull-ups with an underhand grip—“the way girls do them,” he said. That’s right. Of all the pressing issues in America, Kinzinger chose to spend his oxygen dissecting grip technique in a 30-second fitness clip. Because nothing screams relevance like criticizing a war veteran for not using a wide grip.
"In the military, underhand pull-ups, that's what the girls are allowed to do. The guys do overhand. Pete is doing underhand. In an environment where alpha males rule and your image is everything, that was a pretty big violation." @AdamKinzinger joins @Timodc: pic.twitter.com/TDjAstZAP3
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) August 20, 2025
What’s funny is that just a few years ago, the New York Times was wringing its hands over President Trump’s executive order to reintroduce the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools. They claimed it could "bring back painful memories" for students. Meanwhile, two members of Trump’s cabinet are showing it’s okay to be strong, disciplined, and physically capable—and Kinzinger wants to debate pull-up etiquette?
This from a man whose latest appearances on X have been… less than fighting shape. Let’s just say the lighting’s doing him no favors. Maybe he should worry less about Hegseth’s biceps and more about his own blood pressure.
None of that is true.
— Boomer-Tiro (@BoomerTiro) August 21, 2025
But here’s the irony that ties the whole episode into a knot: the very same crowd that wants to blur the lines in girls’ sports is now lecturing on what qualifies as a “real” pull-up. Apparently, gender norms only matter when you can weaponize them against a Trump appointee.
Well that's not true at all. Women don't do pull ups in the military they hang from the bar for a time period. Both underhand and over hand pull ups are acceptable for a PFT.
— Fletcher Longdraw (@FletchLongdraw) August 21, 2025
Kinzinger’s been out of office long enough that he’s starting to forget he was Adam Kinzinger. These days, he’s more of a professional heckler than a former congressman. As for Hegseth and RFK Jr., their message was simple: leadership includes strength. Not just the moral kind, but the kind that actually shows up when it’s time to do the hard things.