Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is clearing up the mystery behind his unconventional gym gear he’s been spotted wearing more than once.
The 71-year-old Health and Human Services secretary raised eyebrows online after a video surfaced of him working out in jeans during a challenge alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, 45. The two men filmed what they called the “Pete and Bobby Challenge,” which required 100 push-ups and 50 pull-ups within 10 minutes.
“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,” Hegseth shared to his X account on Monday, August 18 alongside the video. While Hegseth and others dressed in typical athletic gear, Kennedy stuck to denim.
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
In an interview with Fox News, he explained why. “Well, I just started doing that a long time ago because I would go hiking in the morning and then I’d go straight to the gym,” he said, per PEOPLE. “And I found it was convenient, and now I’m used to it, so I just do it.”
It’s not the first time Kennedy’s workout attire has gone viral. In June 2023, during his run for the Democratic presidential nomination, he posted a clip of himself on Instagram shirtless and in jeans completing push-ups. “Getting in shape for my debates with President Biden!” he wrote at the time, adding, “And yes, I can do more than 10 push-ups. That was my last set.” He repeated the jeans-and-no-shirt look in December 2024 while preparing for his Senate confirmation hearings, joking that he was “practicing moves for my confirmation hearing.”
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Beyond the viral jeans, Kennedy’s personal life has also been under scrutiny. His wife, actress Cheryl Hines, recently addressed speculation about their marriage in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Rumors of strain have followed the couple since Kennedy joined Donald Trump’s cabinet after leaving the Democratic Party in 2024. But Hines, 59, insists they remain strong. “Bobby and I talk about everything, so that’s how we move through everything,” she said. “We’re really good friends, and we trust each other.”
