The Marine veteran joined elite Navy SEALs for a grueling training session in California, saying the experience left him feeling like he “got hit by a freight train.”
Vice President JD Vance joined United States Navy SEALs on Monday for an intense 90-minute beach workout at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, a facility known worldwide for training some of the U.S. military’s most elite forces.
The workout included running drills, rope climbs, and log-carrying exercises, elements commonly associated with the early phases of SEAL training. Vance later said the session was physically punishing — even with accommodations made for him.
“Just finished PT with the Navy SEALs for 90 minutes,” Vance wrote on X.
“They took it easy on me and I still feel like I got hit by a freight train.”
He added that he was grateful for the service members who maintain what he called “the highest standards anywhere in the world.”
HOME OF “HELL WEEK”
Naval Amphibious Base Coronado is home to the SEALs’ Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training program, infamous for its brutal “Hell Week,” during which only about 20% of candidates typically advance.
While Vance did not participate in formal SEAL training, the workout reflected the physical intensity and endurance culture that defines the force. Faces of many of the SEALs in official images were blurred for operational security.
A MARINE AMONG ELITE FORCES
Vance served in the United States Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007 and deployed to Iraq in 2005. He has often cited his military service as formative to his America First foreign policy outlook.
His appearance with the SEALs echoes similar public engagements by Pete Hegseth, who has frequently posted footage of himself training alongside active-duty troops.
Hegseth has also drawn attention for enforcing stricter physical and grooming standards, including a policy restricting beards for most service members and urging the military to be “fit, not fat.”
Vance, notably, was the only participant wearing a beard during the training session. Asked previously about the policy, he remarked:
“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.”
CONTEXT: FITNESS & READINESS
The training session comes as part of the Trump administration’s broader “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, which emphasizes physical fitness, readiness, and discipline across both civilian and military institutions.
Vance praised Hegseth’s push for higher standards, calling them essential to maintaining military effectiveness.
