Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has gone viral on social media for his hilarious impression of his boss, President Donald Trump, with users calling it “spot on” and “flawless.”
Hegseth debuted his comedic skills during an appearance aboard the USS Chosin, a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser that is currently stationed in Panama. He made the appearance during his recent trip to Panama, where he successfully negotiated a mutually beneficial agreement with Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino about the use of the Panama Canal.
While on the USS Chosin, Hegseth spoke with a group of sailors, where he detailed his discussion with Trump when he initially accepted the nomination to become Secretary of Defense. He then launched into what social media users have deemed one of the best impressions of Trump.
“The president gave me a very direct charge. He actually told me two things when he chose me for this job,” Hegseth began before clearing his throat and switching to his Trump impression.
“First was, ‘Pete, you better be tough as s—t, okay?’” Hegseth said with a perfect Trump voice and perfect mannerisms, prompting laughter from the crowd of sailors.
.@SecDef @PeteHegseth does a spot on impression of President Trump! 😆😆😆 pic.twitter.com/zIpNycUndH
— Kristina Wong 🇺🇸 (@kristina_wong) April 9, 2025
Conservative commentator Benny Johnson also shared the clip on X, calling Hegseth’s Trump impression “flawless,” which hundreds of commenters agreed with.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth does a flawless President Trump impression of when he picked him for the role🤣:
pic.twitter.com/h4eqhSYPGQ— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 9, 2025
This is not the first time that Hegseth did an impression of Trump, though this recent one was much better than the last, which occurred in late March at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
SecDef Pete Hegseth does a Trump impression from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam 😂😂
"When the president asked me to do this job, he told me two things up front, among many. First, he said, [Trump impression] 'Pete, you're gonna have to be tough as …'" pic.twitter.com/mOGqbYeDHQ
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 27, 2025
Meanwhile, Hegseth appeared to have a great time aboard the USS Chosin, as he shared a video on X of himself being gifted a hat and named an honorary “War Dragon.” Hegseth immediately put the hat on, prompting USSS Chosin Commander Captain Robert “Mac” McFarlin to say: “There it is. Now, you’re part of the family.”
“Today, our team had the opportunity to tour the USS Chosin to see the amazing work our @USNavy warriors are doing in the @Southcom AOR,” Hegseth wrote in the video’s caption.
Today, our team had the opportunity to tour the USS Chosin to see the amazing work our @USNavy warriors are doing in the @Southcom AOR. pic.twitter.com/A69ljLQCwB
— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) April 9, 2025
