War Secretary Pete Hegseth traded his suit for athletic gear to join Marines for a morning workout in San Diego, using the moment to tout the sweeping changes he says he has pushed through at the Pentagon. We've had to do a lot, Hegseth told the assembled troops, listing off firings, policy overhauls, and a steady stream of speeches aimed at reshaping military culture. But it was his next line that stood out most, as he praised the Marine Corps specifically, saying that when his team arrived, the warrior ethos was already alive and well within the ranks. You guys never quite let it go, he told the Marines, framing the Corps as an example the rest of the force should follow.

The remarks fit squarely into Hegseth's broader campaign since taking over the renamed Department of War, one built around reviving what he calls the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military, and restoring deterrence. He has used that framing repeatedly in recent weeks, including during his September State of the Force address at Quantico, where he announced new directives tightening fitness and grooming standards, scrapping diversity-focused policies, and emphasizing merit-based promotions over quotas. Filmed outdoors in front of a massive American flag, the San Diego remarks continue that same message, casting the Marine Corps as proof that the cultural shift he has pushed for is not just possible but already underway in parts of the force.