Of the many things one may not want to hear from the lips of Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, this is probably among them. Imagine you're on the toilet.
And yet, here we are.
Dr. Oz, TV host turned Trump administration official, shared a video on social media demonstrating proper squat technique and advised viewers to visualize sitting on a toilet for correct form.
Here's how to take care of your heart this summer - enjoy the good weather and get moving! pic.twitter.com/2hWukU3dCV
— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) July 9, 2026
He also recommended brisk walking for heart health and demonstrated pull-ups on a monkey bar. Oz was mocked for his squat technique, especially the part where he appears to lose his balance. "On his way back to vertical, his center of gravity was too far behind him, causing him to flail his arms and take a few short steps backward to regain his balance," Daily Beast wrote.
Others saw it this way. "Looks like you need some old folk hand rails to hold yourself up," one X user wrote. Another added, "He and his buddies Bobby and Kegsbreath really need to stop trying to exercise for the cameras. They all three look totally ridiculous."
He was referencing how other Trump administration officials, like Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have also posted workout videos showcasing their fitness routines.
Kennedy's videos include working out in jeans with Kid Rock and plunging into cold water, also in his jeans, while Hegseth's videos focus on his ability to keep up with military members.
BREAKING 🚨: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth knocked out 44 bench press reps after completing a morning run with troops at GTMO yesterday. pic.twitter.com/ueCJo1S6eI
— Dr Charlie Ward (@DrcharlieWardQ) July 12, 2026
"CRUSHED 44 reps on the bench after a morning run with the troops yesterday in GTMO," his department's account tweeted on X on his behalf. Not everyone saw the same fitness fanatic he apparently wanted them to see.
Nike trainer Cole Francum reacted on social media, writing, "Unfortunately for people with eyeballs and a WiFi connection, Pete Hegseth has shown us way too many times (with seemingly unending video footage?) that his general movement quality sucks a-s. Typically, I would never shame a human for their lack of mobility or moving their body. However, Hegseth loves to make a sticking point about LGBTQIA+ people being 'unfit' for the military..."
What members of the Trump administration are doing, in their own way, is promoting the Make America Healthy Again movement, with RFK Jf., Hegseth, and Oz, among others, urging Americans to get off the couch and move their bodies.
"Kennedy has long advocated for shifting the focus of health care from disease management to disease prevention. The MAHA plan promotes community-based initiatives to encourage healthy eating, regular exercise and routine screenings, aiming to reduce chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease," Medical Economics wrote of the movement spearheaded by RFK Jr.
