Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, apparently making light of war crimes allegations, shared a meme Sunday showing the children's book character Franklin the Turtle firing a rocket-propelled grenade at a boat. The meme depicted a fake book cover with the title "Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists," the Hill reports. Hegseth tagged US Southern Command in his post on X, saying, "For your Christmas wish list." The post followed reports that special ops troops acting on Hegseth's orders fired two missiles on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean, the second of which killed two survivors. Hegseth's post drew condemnation from political figures and the publisher of the books.
Rep. Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat and Senate candidate, responded bluntly to Hegseth's post, calling him "a disgrace," Fox News reports. Former GOP Rep. Justin Amash also criticized the meme, writing, "There's nothing Christian about war crimes." Commenters online suggested a sequel: "Franklin Goes to the Hague." (The White House defended the strikes and said the second order came from the mission commander, not Hegseth.)
The Daily Beast notes that the Franklin books are written by a Canadian. Former journalist Paulette Bourgeois launched the series in 1986. Bourgeois and illustrator Brenda Clark are both members of the Order of Canada, the CBC reports. The books' publisher, Kids Can Press, denounced the meme, saying, "Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity." The statement added, "We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin's name or image, which directly contradicts these values."
This file has been updated with the response from Kids Can Press.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
