Pete Hegseth's use of Canadian character Franklin the turtle in post about boat strikes prompts anger, mockery

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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.

For your Christmas wish list… <a href="https://t.co/pLXzg20SaL">pic.twitter.com/pLXzg20SaL</a> —PeteHegseth

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.

"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? " one X user commented.

Hegseth's post didn't escape notice on Capitol Hill.

"He wants to be taken seriously, but yesterday he posted a ridiculous tweet of a cartoon turtle firing on alleged drug traffickers — a sick parody of a well-known children's book," Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer said from the Senate floor on Monday.

House Democrat Adam Smith, on the armed services committee, told reporters: "I've read books to my children, but not that one apparently."

"We need a secretary of defence who understands the seriousness and the importance of the job that he has," added Smith. "We don't have one."

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 an d illustrator Brenda Clark are members of the Order of Canada.

Franklin author Paulette Bourgeois is pictured in the CBC PEI building in this 2016 photo. (Matt Rainnie/CBC)

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."

In a statement given to U.S. media outlets, including CBS and Axios, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said, "We doubt Franklin the turtle wants to be inclusive of drug cartels … or laud the kindness and empathy of narco-terrorists."

'A war crime if it's true'

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.

On Sunday, congressional lawmakers said they did not know whether last week’s Washington Post report was true, and some Republicans were skeptical, but they said attacking survivors of an initial missile strike poses serious legal concerns.

“This rises to the level of a war crime if it’s true,” said Sen. Tim Kaine.

Trump had defended Hegseth on Sunday, saying that the defence secretary told him he didn't order the men to be killed, " and I believe him ."

WATCH | White House insists attack on alleged drug boat was lawful: White House says admiral ordered 2nd strike on alleged drug boat | Duration 2:22 White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that a U.S. navy admiral ordered a second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean Sea in September, while insisting the attack was lawful. The incident has come under bipartisan scrutiny amid a published report that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order for a second strike that killed survivors on the boat.

2nd strike was 'self-defence': White House

On Monday, despite earlier denials from the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said a second strike was conducted against an alleged drug vessel off Venezuela "in self-defence" and "in accordance" with laws governing armed conflict.

"The president has the right to take them out," Leavitt said of alleged drug vessels, if they are "threatening the United States of America."

In her comments to reporters on Monday, Leavitt did not dispute the Washington Post's report that there were survivors after the initial strike in the incident.

Her explanation came after Trump said a day earlier that he "wouldn’t have wanted that — not a second strike" when asked about the incident.

“Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” said Leavitt, referring to U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Frank Bradley, who at the time was the commander of Joint Special Operations Command.

“Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated,” she said.

'Book two is Franklin goes to the Hague'

On social media, however, many critics of Hegseth's post disagreed.

"That was just book one in the series. Book two is Franklin Goes to the Hague," someone posted on X.

"Franklin and Pete Hegseth violate the Geneva Convention and commit war crimes," posted another critic.

Others posted their own mock titles, including "Franklin on trial at the ICC," and "Franklin targets Venezuela's Oil."

And others pointed out that Franklin is Canadian, and that the character is a role model for children, which makes Hegseth's post "even more repulsive."