Pete Hegseth's use of Canadian character Franklin the turtle in post about boat strikes prompts anger, mockery
CBC
Franklin the turtle is a Canadian creation beloved by generations of children, so when U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth turned him into a bazooka-wielding soldier in a social media post Sunday, many people were alarmed.
Hegseth's post featured a mock cover of a Franklin children's book titled "Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists." The image shows a smiling Franklin wearing a military helmet and vest and an American flag on his arm. He's standing in a helicopter, firing a weapon toward a boat carrying packages and a man holding a gun.
"For your Christmas wish list," he wrote above the post, an apparent attempt to make light of deadly U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Earlier Sunday, lawmakers said they support congressional reviews of those strikes, citing a published report in the Washington Post that Hegseth issued a verbal order for all crew members to be killed as part of a Sept. 2 attack.
Meanwhile, the response to Hegseth's post from critics was swift and fierce.
"You're a disgrace," Massachusetts congressman Seth Moulton replied to Hegseth's post on X.
"Where do I start on this? The fact that you want to sell a Canadian children's book? Or that you're going to get copyright infringed to hell … because Franklin isn't a murderer and you want kids to be taught to kill?" commented another critic.
There are more than two dozen books in the popular Franklin series with more than 20 million books in print around the world.
The series was also made into an animated television show, inspired a postage stamp, and both author Paulette Bourgeois and illustrator Brenda Clark are members of the Order of Canada.
In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for their publisher, Kids Can Press, said they condemn this use of Franklin's image.
"Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity," the spokesperson wrote.
"We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values."
The U.S. administration says the strikes in the Caribbean are aimed at drug cartels, some of which it claims are controlled by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with his national security team Monday afternoon as bipartisan scrutiny mounted over the reports that Hegseth ordered a second strike on an alleged drug vessel to kill any survivors.
