Pete Hegseth got up at 5am yesterday to do a little PT with the troops under his command.

Sean Spicer noted that Hegseth and Trump maybe want to draw a comparison between Hegseth and the "last two Secretaries of Defense" who "could not pass a physical."

Indeed:

In addition to the great policy, the Trump Administration is pitch-perfect on imagery, stagecraft, and messaging. Trump is also pushing a much more positive message than I've seen from him. Yes, absolutely, he continues to savagely criticize the corrupt left. But the balancing message about what we affirmatively believe in is much stronger than in his first term or the campaign.

Doing calisthenics and deadlifts with the troops might not be a policy statement per se, but it certainly sends a strong message about what the military's priorities are now.

One might even say, without irony, "America is back, baby."

The military's new ads are slightly different than those run under the Absentee President. Compare the new ad on the right, showing a brawny guy deadlifting and announcing that "stronger people are harder to kill," with the Biden ad on the left, which promises that the US armed forces are the perfect place for a feminist to feel empowered and make her two lesbian moms -- yes! -- proud of her.