Jake and Logan Paul, social media influencers who turned online fame into careers in boxing, wrestling and business, spent part of last week inside the Pentagon, where they met Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and addressed military personnel from the building’s press briefing room.
The Department of Defense publicized the Sept. 17 visit Sunday, posting video of the brothers touring the building, meeting uniformed service members and speaking from the podium normally used for Pentagon briefings. The department said the pair came “to meet with our warriors.”
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez told Military.com on Monday that the department was “proud to host Jake and Logan Paul at the Pentagon this week.”
“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.”
The Pentagon did not answer Military.com’s questions about who invited the brothers, why they were selected to address service members, or whether Hegseth personally approved or requested their visit.
A Pentagon official confirmed the Paul brothers paid for their own transportation and lodging.
Paul Brothers Take the Podium
Logan Paul, a WWE performer and longtime YouTube personality, thanked service members for the risks they take during remarks to Pentagon personnel.
“I don’t think there is any greater commitment to sacrifice than those who are willing to live, die and fight for their country,” Logan Paul said.
Jake Paul, a professional boxer who also rose to fame on social media, urged those gathered to take pride in their service.
“Each one of you matter,” he said. “Take this moment and be proud of yourselves for what you do.”
Critics Question the Brothers’ Appearance
The Pentagon’s decision to spotlight the visit generated plenty of online criticism, including from figures with military and national security backgrounds.
Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who served for two decades in the Air Force and Air National Guard and is a notable critic of President Donald Trump and Hegseth, reposted the Pentagon video on X with a comment: “We aren’t a serious country at the moment.”
Tom Nichols, an Atlantic staff writer and former professor at the U.S. Naval War College, responded to the video with a reference to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
YouTube commentator Philip DeFranco, whose career grew from the same online video world that first made the Paul brothers famous, also criticized the appearance, writing that the administration had found another way to “embarrass the country.”
Paul Brothers No Strangers to Trump
The visit isn’t that out of the ordinary considering that the Paul siblings have previously crossed paths with Trump and his administration.
Logan interviewed Trump on his “Impaulsive” podcast during the 2024 campaign, while Jake endorsed Trump before the election.
During the same recent Washington trip, Jake met Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who called his rise from content creator to entrepreneur and boxer “a distinctly American story.”
The Pentagon appearance also came during a run of public-facing events for Hegseth.
Two days later, Hegseth traveled to Texas A&M University as part of his “Send Me Tour,” addressing the Corps of Cadets and visiting the Veterans Resource Center before attending the Aggies’ football game against Kentucky at Kyle Field. The unranked Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Aggies.
Patel Honors Shaquille O’Neal During Separate Ceremony
The Paul brothers were not the only celebrities appearing at prominent federal institutions last week.
On the same day Jake and Logan Paul visited the Pentagon, NBA Hall of Fame player Shaquille O’Neal appeared at the FBI National Academy’s Session 299 graduation in Quantico, Va. The class included 265 law enforcement officials, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
The FBI describes the National Academy as a 10-week program for experienced law enforcement leaders.
Patel said O’Neal, a longtime supporter of law enforcement, was recognized alongside the class and named an honorary FBI special agent. The designation was ceremonial and did not make O’Neal a sworn FBI agent with investigative authority.
O’Neal has longstanding ties to law enforcement, including service as a reserve police officer and other honorary and community roles, making his appearance different in context from the Paul brothers’ Pentagon visit.
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