Pentagon's Pete Hegseth Is Seen Struggling and Falling Behind Military Runners in Latest Workout Video, Critics Say

Pete Hegseth's critics have not been kind about his photo op stunt in which he struggled to keep up with military personnel during a workout.

The Secretary of Defense, known for pushing a "warrior ethos" and introducing a controversial, quickly-scrapped plan to offer hormone replacement therapy for soldiers who had low testosterone, lagged far behind servicemembers as they completed laps and quickly ran out of breath attempting other drills.

The 46-year-old Defense Secretary was filmed attempting to work out with Marines in San Diego, Calif., on October 7. Hegseth regularly preaches the highest standards of appearance for the troops, arguing the week prior, “If the Secretary of War can do regular, hard PT, so can every member of our joint force.”

Unfortunately, many did not think Hegseth was up to the task.

"Vet here, we made fun of the leadership that did s--- like this," one commenter said.

"Hegseth has officially discovered that being the Secretary of Defense does NOT automatically make you the Secretary of Cardio. He’s negotiating a ceasefire with his lungs," joked another.

However, some commenters noted that it would be more concerning if Hegseth were faster than troops 25 years his junior.

Other clips from Hegseth's workout spread online, as commenters joked that it appeared he struggled mightily to complete drills.

He appeared sluggish and exhausted as he attempted a crawling exercise, and his form on other floor exercises was widely critiqued. Troops participating in the exercise did not display the same level of fatigue as the Secretary of Defense. In one clip, he appears to opt out of continuing to do pull-ups in order to high five passing troops.

Hegseth praised the Marines for sticking with the "warrior ethos" he preached before attempting their workout.

"We've had to do a lot. Fire some people...change a bunch of policies...it was nice to see when we showed up the warrior ethos has always been alive in the Marine Corps. You guys never quite let it go," he said.

The image-obsessed Hegseth has been on a controversial speaking tour at various troops. He has been filmed delivering slur-filled speeches praising the military under his reign and criticizing for introducing N--- imagery into the Defense Department.

He has also introduced a department of "Religious Affairs," which critics say is a violation of the separation of Church and State.

"Our department is, you might say, putting on the full armor of God, because while we wage physical war, we all know the real battle is spiritual," he said when announcing the department on September 30.

While critics have accused Hegseth of using his speeches to portray himself as popular among servicemembers, he is also facing criticism from Pentagon insiders over his reportedly chaotic leadership style.

In mid-September, multiple Pentagon insiders sounded the alarm on who they called "the least qualified, most explosive defense secretary in American history."

Hegseth faces stark opposition in Washington, with efforts to impeach him coming from both parties, but he reportedly still has the backing of Donald Trump.