Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy hilariously accepted the MAHA fitness gauntlet that was thrown down by the heads of the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services.
Appearing on Fox News’ “The Will Cain Show” on Wednesday, Duffy and the show’s host announced they both had accepted what was dubbed the “Pete and Bobby challenge” from Secretary of DOD, Pete Hegseth and HHS Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The challenge? It entails doing 100 pushups and 50 pull-ups in under 10 minutes.
.@SecKennedy and @SecDef — sorry for the late reply, I was busy working double shifts at @USDOT and @NASA.
I’m up for the challenge! And I happen to be in Texas with my buddy @WillCain.
Let’s MAHA 💪😎 pic.twitter.com/K9v7bMBaMx
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) August 19, 2025
READ MORE: ‘Usually Not My Thing’: President Trump Cracks Up Sports All-Stars With Comment About NFL Player
Before the two even started, Duffy had to point out that he had broken his shoulder and was at a disadvantage.
“The doctor said no pull-ups or no sit-ups,” Duffy explained. “But I’m going to do it because of the challenge.”
In the clip, they set off on the challenge to the pull-up bar. Cain made it look easy, while Duffy was, well, not as smooth.
And then it was time to do pushups, with the Fox News host coaching him to “squeeze” them out.
.@willcain and @SecDuffy take on the “Pete and Bobby Challenge.”
How did they do? pic.twitter.com/Bkx6Uzkvv7
— The Will Cain Show (@WillCainShow_) August 20, 2025
At one point, Duffy tried to claim that he deserved a break with the challenge, simply because he was wearing the two hats as Secretary of Transportation and acting NASA administrator, while RFK Jr. and Hegseth only had one.
Duffy announced he was more than halfway through before Cain stepped in to help him finish up his pullups, as he held on to his legs and lifted him up. In the end, Cain announced that he had completed the challenge in 5:12, but we never do find out how Duffy did.
It came after the Transportation Secretary announced the day before that he had heard the challenge and accepted.
🚨🚨🚨
Tune in to the @WillCainShow_ at 4PM ET today to find out how @willcain & I did on @SecKennedy and @SecDef’s MAHA challenge 💪 pic.twitter.com/z0UlHeBksI
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) August 20, 2025
Earlier in the week, Hegseth and RFK Jr. made headlines when a video surfaced of them issuing the fitness challenge and then each crushing it.
In the video, the Secretary of Defense, at age 45, clearly dominated the challenge undertaken at the Pentagon, finishing in 5:25. However, at the ripe old age of 71, RFK Jr. not only made an impressive showing but did so while wearing jeans, with a time of 5:48. I mean, cmon, man.
President Trump set the example by putting forth efforts to make America healthy again.
That’s why we are introducing the Pete and Bobby challenge.
100 push-ups. 50 pull-ups. 10 minutes. pic.twitter.com/ppRrwqSUm0
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) August 18, 2025
RFK Jr. said they were issuing a challenge to America’s youth to do 100 pushups and 50 pull-ups, “in any order you want in under 10 minutes.”
He then issued a challenge to Secretary Duffy and Cain to accept the Pete and Bobby challenge.
ALSO: MAHA: Is RFK Jr.’s Mission to ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Already Paying Dividends?
President Donald Trump has made good on his campaign promises to Make America Healthy Again. During a recent White House event, Trump signed an Executive Order, which reestablishes the President’s Council on Sports and reinstates the Presidential Fitness Test and award for children, introduced in 1966 and discontinued under former President Barack Obama’s time in office, RedState reported.
“This is a wonderful tradition, and we’re bringing it back,” Trump said of the fitness challenge that tests public school kids on their health and athleticism. “I was always a person who loved playing sports. I was good at sports. When you are really focused on sports, you’ve thought about nothing else.”
“To an extent, this is one of the reasons I like golf,” he added. “You get away for a couple of hours.”
So, should we accept this challenge? Let us know, and I will see how many of my RedState colleagues are up for it. I promise to do it as well, regardless of how it turns out.
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