Jake and Logan Paul’s Pentagon speech to US troops has been mocked online after the influencer brothers appeared alongside Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ahead of National POW/MIA Recognition Day.
The pair visited the Pentagon on Thursday, September 17, meeting service members, touring the building and paying their respects at its 9/11 memorial. A video of the visit later attracted more than 47 million views, though not everyone appeared convinced that two social media celebrities were the obvious choice for the occasion.
“Last Thursday, we welcomed Logan and Jake Paul to the Pentagon to meet with our warriors,” the US Department of War wrote when sharing the footage.
What did Jake and Logan Paul tell US troops?
The video showed the brothers addressing troops in the Pentagon press room, as well as posing and laughing with Hegseth, the former Fox & Friends Weekend host who now leads the department.
“What a cool experience,” Logan Paul said. “We see all the men and women here serving this great nation, and I don’t think there is any greater commitment to sacrifice than those willing to live, die and fight for their country.”
Jake Paul followed with his own message to those in attendance.
“Each of you matter,” he said. “Take this moment and be proud of yourselves for what you do.
“This is the greatest country in the world, truly. We are blessed to be born here, come here, and we should never take that for granted.”
The appearance came shortly before National POW/MIA Recognition Day, which honours US prisoners of war and service members still listed as missing in action. The occasion was serious. The guest list was rather more unexpected.
Why did the Pentagon visit face ridicule?
Jake and Logan Paul have built huge online audiences through social media, reality television and combat sports. Jake is best known for professional boxing, while Logan has competed in boxing and wrestling. Neither has served in the military.
That résumé prompted widespread confusion about why they had been selected to offer motivational remarks at the Pentagon. One social media user wrote: “I had to triple check to make sure this wasn’t a parody account.”
Another asked: “So our department of war got that Disney channel flow now?” The comment referred to the brothers’ early careers as performers on the Disney Channel.
Former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, who voted to impeach Donald Trump in 2021, was less playful in his criticism. Sharing the clip, he wrote: “We aren’t a serious country at the moment.”
The Pentagon defended the visit. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez said the department had been “proud” to host the brothers.
“They toured the building, paid their respects at our 9/11 memorial, thanked our service members, and briefly met with Secretary Hegseth,” Valdez said. “The Department is grateful for their visit and continued support of our military.”
How are the Paul brothers connected to Donald Trump?
Both brothers have developed close ties to President Donald Trump through prominent media appearances and support for his political campaign. Their Pentagon visit continued the administration’s enthusiasm for recruiting celebrities into public-facing roles, whether or not the celebrities received much advance notice.
In 2025, Trump announced that actors Mel Gibson, Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone would become his “special ambassadors” to Hollywood. He said the three men would serve as his “eyes and ears” and help bring film business back to the United States.
Stallone later said he discovered the appointment while watching television. He turned it down, describing the assignment as “impossible.” Gibson also said he had received no warning before Trump announced his new role, although he responded that he would “heed the call.”
Voight took a more active approach. He later met Trump and pushed for a federal tax credit intended to encourage more film and television production in the US.
The Paul brothers, by comparison, appeared fully aware that they were at the Pentagon. Whether the wider public understood why they were there remained another matter.
