Vice President JD Vance posted staged photos of a 90-minute workout with Navy SEALs at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado that quickly drew online mockery. Critics called the display tone-deaf and accused Vance of staging a photo op while many Americans focus on rising housing and grocery costs. Observers compared the event to other high-profile, military-style appearances by administration figures. The Daily Beast has reached out to Vance's office for comment.
VP JD Vance’s Navy SEAL Workout Sparks Mockery — Critics Call It a 'Cosplay' Photo Op
JD Vance X
Vice President JD Vance posted polished images from a personal training session with Navy SEALs at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, prompting swift online ridicule and accusations that the event was staged for political optics.
JD Vance posted a photo of himself climbing a rope wall with Navy SEALs. / X
The 41-year-old former Marine, who served in Iraq before entering politics, shared photos on the official @VP account and on his personal account showing him sprinting along the surf, hauling a log beside helmeted operators whose faces were blurred, climbing a cargo net and riding in a small boat through the waves. On his personal account Vance wrote that he had "just finished PT with the Navy SEALs for 90 minutes," adding that the SEALs "took it easy on me" and that he felt "like I got hit by a freight train."
Online jokers immediately jumped on JD Vance's Navy SEAL session. / X
Online Reaction
JD Vance posted a photo of him chatting to Navy SEALs. / X
Reaction on social media was largely critical. Many users labeled the display "cosplay" and accused the vice president of focusing on image-making rather than policy issues. Some critics edited the photos into memes, including superimposing a well-known image of Vance with a puffy face onto service members and joking with the phrase "GI Jello."
Kristi Noem's detractors have taken to calling her 'ICE Barbie.' / Alex Brandon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
"Nice cosplay as a Navy SEAL. Leadership isn't about photo ops, it's about fixing the mess at home," one user wrote.
Political strategists also chimed in. Digital strategist Mike Nellis posted: "Cool, man—but when you’re done cosplaying, can you and your boss do something about housing and grocery prices? Thanks." Democratic strategist Christopher Hale added, "It’s the middle of the workday. While Americans are grinding to make Christmas work, the vice president is burning taxpayer dollars pretending to be a Navy SEAL."
Context
Observers placed Vance's appearance in a broader pattern of theatrical, military-style photo opportunities by senior officials. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth drew scrutiny after leading a filmed PT session on Omaha Beach on the D-Day anniversary, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been mocked for using law-enforcement scenes as backdrops for stylized photo ops. This was also not Vance's first military-focused appearance: ahead of Thanksgiving he performed a comedy skit for troops at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The Daily Beast has contacted the vice president's office for comment.
