Long before most beachgoers arrive, Vice President JD Vance was already deep into a punishing training session alongside some of the military’s most elite operators.
The vice president spent 90 demanding minutes running, climbing ropes, and hauling heavy logs with Navy SEALs during a workout at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in California, according to the New York Post.
By the end of it, Vance said the experience left a lasting impression.
“Just finished PT with the Navy SEALs for 90 minutes,” Vance wrote on his personal X account after the session. “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!”
The workout took place at Coronado, the storied home of the SEALs’ Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training program. The base is known for pushing candidates to their physical and mental limits, particularly during the infamous “Hell Week,” a grueling stretch that only about 20% of trainees are estimated to survive.
Vance, a Marine Corps veteran, acknowledged that the SEALs scaled back their routine for him. Even so, the intensity underscored the level of conditioning expected of the Navy’s special operations forces.
The vice president’s appearance with the SEALs mirrors similar efforts by War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who frequently shares footage of himself training alongside active-duty service members. Hegseth has been outspoken about enforcing discipline and fitness standards across the armed forces.
In August, Hegseth signed a policy restricting most service members from wearing beards and later summed up the move bluntly with the phrase, “no more beardos.” He has also urged troops to prioritize readiness, calling on the force to be “fit, not fat.”
Vance has publicly supported those efforts, praising Hegseth for pushing “very high standards.” During the Coronado workout, however, the vice president stood out as the only participant sporting a beard.
“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 in October when asked about the policy.
The training session also aligns with the Trump administration’s broader Make America Healthy Again initiative, which emphasizes physical fitness and wellness across government and society.
Vance served in the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007 and was deployed to Iraq in 2005. He has often said his military service shaped his worldview and continues to influence his approach to national security and foreign policy.
