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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is facing heat from a wide range of figures, including a Canadian children’s book publisher, after revelations regarding his orders in the Trump administration’s murderous boat strike campaign.
On Sunday, Hegseth posted a picture that appeared to be AI generated on X, showing the cover of a fake children’s book entitled Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists. The picture shows children’s character Franklin the Turtle, wearing U.S. military gear and perched on the side of a helicopter, shooting a missile at a boat in the water below, which holds a man with a gun and numerous parcels. Similar boats are nearby.
“For your Christmas wish list…,” Hegseth wrote in the post.
Kids Can Press, the publisher of the Franklin the Turtle books, flamed Hegseth on Monday for his “unauthorized” use of the beloved children’s character for war propaganda.
“Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity,” the publisher said in a statement. “We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.”
Hegseth’s use of the character is stark. The Franklin the Turtle series has been in print for decades, and features stories like Franklin Goes to School, Franklin Rides a Bike, and Franklin’s Baby Sister. It was also made into a TV show in the ‘90s, simply titled “Franklin,” where the young turtle would embark on adventures with his family and friends.
In response to the publisher, top Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell said that “we doubt Franklin the Turtle wants to be inclusive of drug cartels.”
The strikes, like the one seemingly depicted in the AI cover, have been repeatedly condemned as war crimes and murder by experts.
“This is serious business. I mean, even if it’s justified, even if it’s right, seriously, you’re killing people. And this is your response to tweet out some joke about a cartoon turtle,” said Rep. Adam Smith (Washington), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.
Hegseth is facing increased scrutiny this week after a report found that he gave an order to “kill everybody” in the administration’s initial boat strike on September 2, leading soldiers to carry out a “double tap” strike on a vessel.
The revelation raises concerns of yet more crimes being committed by the military in its boat strike operation, which could implicate figures up and down the chain of command in illegal activities — even as Hegseth and the White House appear to be pinning the second strike on one admiral, Mitch Bradley.
UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter Terrorism Ben Saul condemned Hegseth on Monday, saying that he and President Donald Trump should face arrest for the boat strike campaign.
“This is not ‘combat’. There is no war on ‘narco-terrorists’. This is state murder of civilians in peacetime, like executing alleged drug traffickers on the streets of New York or DC,” Saul said in a post on social media. “[Hegseth] and [President Donald Trump] should be arrested & charged with ordering the mass murder of 80 people.”
Even Republicans have raised alarm over the most recent revelations. The leaders of the Republican-led Armed Services Committees in the House and the Senate said over the weekend that they are launching their own probes into the reports of the “double tap” strike and the military obfuscating its reasoning for the strike in briefings to Congress.
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