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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth may be an ex-Army National Guard officer, but that didn't stop the 45-year-old football fan from celebrating Navy's thrilling win over Air Force in the Midshipmen's locker room on Saturday in Annapolis.
'[Hegseth] took a visit to the [Navy football] locker room AFTER defeating Air Force 34-31,' read an X post from a Pentagon-linked account. 'It was ELECTRIC…'
The besuited Hegseth, who identifies as the 'Secretary of War,' is seen jumping into the fray as a hopping mass of uniformed Midshipmen embraced each other amid a downpour of water and Gatorade.
He'd already handled coin toss duties on Saturday, addressed players from both the U.S. Naval and Air Force academies, and even fired off the home team's cannon at the end of the first quarter. But it was his enthusiastic participation in Navy's post-game celebration that connected most with college football fans and online supporters.
'Hegseth is straight out of central casting,' unofficial Donald Trump adviser Laura Loomer wrote on X alongside a laughing emoji. 'It's remarkable.'
'He's such a bro,' a user going by @MAGAOracle wrote on X. 'The Enlisted finally feel heard after decades of upper management officer stiffs.'
The besuited Hegseth is seen jumping into the fray as a hopping mass of uniformed Midshipmen embraced each other amid a downpour of water and Gatorade
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth walks by the Brigade of Midshipman in Annapolis
Then there were the proud Navy Academy alums, who were happy to see their team being embraced at the highest levels of the Pentagon.
'USNA grad, nuclear submarines, I could not be more proud during the 250th birthday of [the] Navy and the 125th birthday of submarines!' one wrote. 'Go Navy! Beat Army!'
Not everyone was on board with Hegseth's behavior, though.
'I thank god every day that the SecDef Kegseth doesn't actually do any real work and is really more of a mascot,' one critic wrote online, repeating alcoholism allegations that faced Hegseth during his confirmation hearings.
Hegseth has described such allegations as a 'smear campaign' and has denied having a drinking problem.
Besides, this is college football, where the beer and champagne spray of professional locker-room celebrations is replaced with soft drinks.
Hegseth handled coin toss duties on Saturday, addressed players from both the U.S. Naval and Air Force academies, and fired off the home team's cannon at the end of the first quarter
United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth takes part in the coin toss before the game
Pete Hegseth is seen on the sidelines during Saturday's Navy-Air Force game in Annapolis
Pete Hegseth is seen addressing the Navy Midshipmen during his visit to Annapolis
Then there were those who insisted Hegseth had no reason to celebrate with a team that earned a hard-fought victory.
'Nothing like sneaking in out the backside and just jumping around!' one critic wrote. 'Most call that STOLEN VALOR.'
'This whole administration is nothing but photo ops and bad decisions,' another added.
With the win, the Midshipmen remained undefeated and moved one step closer to a second straight Commander-in-Chief Trophy. They will face rival Army on December 13 in nearby Baltimore.
