WATCH: Pete Hegseth runs and does push-ups with troops aboard USS Boxer ahead of Shangri-La summit
United States Secretary of War Peter Heggs Seen training and doing push-ups with U.S. military personnel aboard the USS Boxer Singapore ahead of this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue Security Summit.
The video, shared by Fox News on
“Early morning physical training with America’s bravest,” Fox News wrote in the post. “War Secretary Pete Hegseth started his day by working out with U.S. troops aboard the USS Boxer docked in Singapore.”
Hegseth joins the army for training
In the video, Hegers can be seen jogging, doing push-ups and participating in other exercise drills on the ship’s deck with military personnel.
The video attracted attention online, with supporters praising the defense secretary for his direct involvement with troops.
“Minister Hegseth is commanding from the front line and conducting PT with the troops on the flight deck at 0:30. This is true leadership.” An X user commented.
Another wrote: “Yeah he did it last night (US time), it’s so cool that he’s involved in the military.”
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Some social media users also compared the moment to previous administrations, while others questioned whether the video was staged for media attention.
“Looks like it’s going well…and a behind-the-scenes look at the evening show,” one commenter wrote.
Taiwan and China expected to dominate summit discussions
Hegseth boarded the USS Boxer aircraft carrier before speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, one of Asia’s most closely watched security forums.
According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese representatives at the summit hope Washington will adopt a less confrontational tone on the issue. Taiwan Compared to previous years, especially after the recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Last year, Heggs warned that any Chinese attempt to seize Taiwan by force would have “devastating consequences” for the Indo-Pacific region.
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However, retired People’s Liberation Army Colonel Zhou Bo told the publication that U.S. rhetoric may not escalate further this year. “They can’t take their rhetoric to that level anymore,” he said.
Meet Singapore leaders
Separately, the U.S. Department of War said Hegseth met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Defense Minister Chan Song Sing during the summit.
According to a ministry briefing, the discussions focused on expanding rotational U.S. naval and air force deployments in Singapore and reaffirming bilateral defense cooperation aimed at maintaining regional deterrence and stability.
