The US secretary of war shared an image of Franklin the Turtle firing a bazooka at supposed drug traffickers
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has sparked a backlash after posting an image showing a popular children’s cartoon character attacking what appear to be drug traffickers. This comes as the administration of US President Donald Trump faces renewed scrutiny over lethal strikes against alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
The meme posted by Hegseth on X is designed as a book cover featuring Franklin the Turtle standing in a helicopter clad in military gear, holding a bazooka and firing rockets at boats with armed gunmen transporting cargo. The caption in the image reads “Franklin targets narco terrorists.” Hegseth suggested that people should add the mock book to their Christmas wish list.
While some commenters expressed support for the crackdown on drug cartels, others expressed outrage over Hegseth’s meme.
The publisher of the Canadian book series Kids Can Press insisted that the character Franklin stands for “kindness, empathy, and inclusivity,” saying it “strongly condemn[s] any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image.”
For your Christmas wish list… pic.twitter.com/pLXzg20SaL
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) December 1, 2025Responding to the criticism, 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.”
Read more Pentagon chief slams media over report of deadly Caribbean strikeSeveral lawmakers have also criticized Hegseth’s post. House Democrat Adam Smith suggested that the secretary “doesn’t understand the seriousness and the importance of the job that he has.”
The scandal comes as Hegseth faces accusations of war crimes after the Washington Post claimed last week that he verbally ordered US forces to “kill everybody” on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean in early September.
Hegseth has denied the allegations and called the Washington Post’s reporting “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory.” He stressed that all traffickers targeted by the US were affiliated with a designated terrorist organization.
The Trump administration has justified its strikes on suspected drug boats as self-defense, claiming that illicit substances carried aboard the vessels are intended for delivery to the US.
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