For weeks, the Pentagon has been scrambling to clean up after Pete Hegseth’s eyebrow-raising comments about physical discipline in basic training. Then a workout video surfaced — and suddenly, that controversy felt like the least of his problems. Last fall President Donald Trump and his Defen se Secretary ordered an unusual and hastily called meeting of top U.S. military brass, summoning hundreds of admirals and generals from posts around the world to Quantico, Virginia, to threaten them over alleged “woke” ideologies in the military and to announce the return to “the highest male standard only” in combat positions, among other demands. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (R) and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi talk between sets during their workout on January 15, 2026 in Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images) During that meeting, Hegseth also said drill instructors would be allowed “to instill healthy fear in new recruits.” “Yes, they can shark attack, they can toss bunks, they can swear, and yes, they can put their hands on recruits,” Hegseth said. “This does not mean they can be reckless or violate the law, but they can use tried and true methods to motivate new recruits, to make them the warriors they need to be.” ‘He’s Out of His Mind’: Trump Tried to Act Unbothered After Being Publicly Snubbed, But One Slip Made the Humiliation Worse — Then He Went on the Attack Pentagon undersecretary for personnel and readiness Anthony Tata responded to a letter from 28 Democratic lawmakers who recently asked for clarification of what Hegseth meant by that comment, saying “hazing and bullying have no place in the U.S. military, according to Military Times. Tata of course put a weird spin on Hegseth’s remarks, characterizing his comments as really about ensuring the safety of military personnel. “Drill instructors have the difficult task of shaping civilians into soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardians, and Marines,” the Trump official said in the letter. “Basic training involves real world scenarios and weapons. When the safety of the recruit or others is jeopardized, drill instructors may take appropriate actions to ensure the safety of the recruits.” View on Threads He said what the military is really trying to do is overhaul “the unduly burdensome complaints system in the military that undermines leaders’ effectiveness.” What really appears to be undermining the military’s effectiveness is Hegseth himself. He joined ROTC cadets at UCLA on Jan. 9 for a stage-managed workout on the Los Angeles campus that included a kettlebell exercise that went south because all anyone is talking about is how he clearly doesn’t know how to swing a kettlebell. One viewer took a direct dig at Hegseth, “Interesting. So, Pete Hegseth can’t do pull ups, kettlebell swings or his job.” View on Threads “TBF, its difficult to swing a kettleball when you’re drunk,” another mocked. “I train multiple 70 year old women who swing a kettlebell better than Pete Hegseth,” Threads user Danny Matranga stated above a video clip of a woman swinging a 105 pound kettlebell, much heavier than the one Hegseth was trying to swing. Another user responded with a joke above a clip of actor Dan Levy saying, “EW.” “Why is he doing it like that,” she asked. Lucky for Hegseth, nearly everyone was criticized for their form. “This is embarrassing for all of them. I do not see one good swing. WHO is training these guys?” View on Threads But lawmakers like California Rrp. Judy Chu are serious about wanting clarification about Hegseth’s intentions especially when it comes to what he said at that September meeting about how the military has weaponized words like “bullying and hazing and toxic.” “They’ve been weaponized and bastardized inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOs,” Hegseth said at that September meeting. “No more. Setting, achieving and maintaining high standards is what you all do. And if that makes me toxic, then so be it.” View on Threads Chu lost her nephew, a marine who died by suicide in 2011 after intense hazing and abuse by other Marines after he fell asleep at his post, Military Times reported. Tata said in his letter to the lawmakers that a “clearer definition” of hazing and bullying would actually help verify complaints about the behaviors and that the military is in the process of creating a new system to better track those kinds of complaints. For her part, Chu said she was glad the Pentagon answered the Democrats’ letter but she’s still “concerned about its decision to change the definition of hazing and processes to handle hazing, bullying and harassment complaints.” ‘Why Is He Doing It Like That?!’: Hegseth Talks Tough About ‘Putting Hands’ on Recruits, Then a Cringe Workout Clip Completely Hijacks the Conversation ...read more read less