Hegseth mocked for having Jake and Logan Paul give motivational speech at the Pentagon

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been slammed for having influencers Jake and Logan Paul deliver a motivational speech at the Pentagon.

​The Paul brothers, who have both been linked to President Trump, spoke at the Pentagon a day before National POW/MIA Recognition Day - which honors prisoners of war and those missing in action.

​A spokesperson for the Defense Department touted the brothers’ visit with a video shared online, which was captioned: “Last Thursday, we welcomed Logan and Jake Paul to the Pentagon to meet with our warriors.”

​However, the visit was quickly mocked online with many questioning why the Paul brothers, known for boxing, wrestling and their reality TV efforts, were chosen to speak to service members.

​“Had to triple check to make sure this wasn’t a parody account,” one X user wrote.

​Journalist Philip DeFranco lamented, “Every day this administration manages to embarrass the country in a new unexpected way.”

​Former GOP Representative Adam Kinzinger, who voted to impeach Trump in 2021, also slammed the video on social media.

​“We aren’t a serious country at the moment,” Kinzinger wrote.

​Tom Nichols, a staff writer at The Atlantic, took a swipe at the post in a reference to the U.S.’s ongoing war with Iran.

​“The Iranians are terrified,” he quipped on X.

​The video shared by the Defense Department shows the Paul brothers posing and laughing with Hegseth, a former Fox and Friends Weekend host, while including clips from their address to troops in the Pentagon’s press room.

​“We just got the pleasure and the privilege of getting a tour of the Pentagon and what a cool experience,” Logan remarked.

​“Each of you matter,” Jake added. “Take this moment and be proud of yourselves for what you do.”

​“This is the greatest country in the world, truly,” Jake continued. “We are blessed to be born here, come here, and we should never take that for granted.”

​Hegseth, who has been criticized for his handling of the war with Iran and for strikes on alleged drug boats, avoided an impeachment vote on Thursday - the same day as the Paul brothers’ visit - when House Speaker Mike Johnson called an early recess.

​Both Paul brothers have long been linked to Trump, with Logan hosting the now-president on his Impaulsive podcast back in 2024. ​Trump even endorsed Jake in a hypothetical run for political office.

​The brothers have disagreed on politics publicly, though, with Jake urging fans to boycott Bad Bunny’s performance at the Super Bowl halftime show because the artist is supposedly a “fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America.”

​Logan responded by writing on X: “I love my brother, but I don’t agree with this.”

​“Puerto Ricans are Americans & I’m happy they were given the opportunity to showcase the talent that comes from the island,” he added.