Logan and Jake Paul delivered a speech to U.S. Military personnel at the Pentagon on September 17, drawing heavy criticism online.
The brothers, 31 and 28, were invited to the Department of Defense headquarters in Arlington County, Virginia, ahead of National POW/MIA Recognition Day. The Department of War shared video of the visit on social media, showing Logan Paul at a podium addressing service members.
“We see all the men and women here who are serving this great nation,” Logan said in the footage. “I don’t think there’s any greater commitment to sacrifice than those who are willing to live, die, and fight for this country.”
He continued: “So, I think it’s you guys who etch your names in history as you fight for and allow us in this country to have that freedom where we can prosper and be happy and be the great nation that we are.”
The elder Paul concluded with a direct expression of gratitude. “So, a deep, personal thank you from myself, my brother, and all of our fellow Americans,” he told the assembled troops.
Jake Paul stood alongside his brother during the appearance, though Logan carried the bulk of the public remarks. The younger Paul has built a parallel career as a professional boxer and content creator, while Logan has pursued wrestling and podcasting ventures.
“Each one of you matters,” Logan added. “Take this moment and be proud of yourselves for what you do. This is the greatest country in the world, truly. We are blessed to be born here, come here, and we should never take that for granted.”
He framed military service within a broader spiritual and national purpose. “That’s what God created us for to lift each other up in the hard moments, to be there for each other in the hard moments, and to come together as a collective and fight for good,” he said. “That’s why this country was formed. We should never forget that.”
The visit drew immediate and sharp backlash across social media platforms, with critics questioning the appropriateness of the influencer brothers addressing active-duty military. One Twitter user posted a biting comparison across generations: “WW2 Vets: ‘I remember Bob Hope entertaining us!’ Desert Storm Vets: ‘Robin Williams was great!’ 2026: ‘There was that time the fake boxer and dude that opens Pokemon packs on stream came to tell us to fight for Israel.'”
Another user wrote: “This administration is a f–king joke.”
A third offered a more despairing assessment. “This is such an embarrassment,” the person wrote. “This is why so many are ashamed of what these dumba**es are turning our country into. I don’t even have anything funny to say about this. It’s depressing.”
The criticism extended beyond the Paul brothers themselves to encompass the administration that facilitated their appearance. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent separately marked the occasion by sharing photographs of himself with Jake Paul on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Great to welcome @jakepaul to the Treasury Department today,” Bessent wrote in the post. “Jake’s path from content creator to entrepreneur and professional boxer is a distinctly American story.”
The pairing of a cabinet secretary with the controversial influencer — who has faced legal troubles and repeated accusations of promoting cryptocurrency scams — added fuel to the online firestorm. The Treasury Department stop appeared to be part of the same Washington visit that included the Pentagon appearance.
The Paul brothers rose to fame through Vine and YouTube content beginning in the early 2010s, building massive youth followings before branching into boxing, professional wrestling, and various business ventures. Logan Paul has more recently pursued a WWE career and co-hosts the popular “Impaulsive” podcast, while Jake Paul has staged high-profile boxing matches against former MMA fighters and other celebrities.
Neither brother has publicly responded to the criticism of their Pentagon appearance as of press time.