Children’s Publisher Condemns Hegseth for Using Franklin the Turtle in War Propaganda

Defense Secretary Hegseth Under Fire for Controversial “Franklin the Turtle” War Propaganda Post

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is facing mounting criticism from a diverse range of figures after posting an AI-generated image depicting a beloved children’s character engaged in military operations, amid growing scrutiny over his role in the Trump administration’s controversial boat strike campaign.

On Sunday, Hegseth shared an image on X showing what appeared to be an AI-generated cover of a fake children’s book titled “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.” The image portrayed Franklin the Turtle, a popular children’s character, wearing U.S. military gear while firing a missile from a helicopter at a boat containing what appeared to be armed individuals and parcels. Hegseth captioned the post with “For your Christmas wish list…”

Kids Can Press, the Canadian publisher of the Franklin the Turtle book series, swiftly condemned Hegseth’s unauthorized use of the character in a statement released Monday. “Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity,” the publisher said. “We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.”

The contrast between Hegseth’s depiction and the character’s actual nature is striking. For decades, Franklin the Turtle has appeared in innocent children’s stories such as “Franklin Goes to School,” “Franklin Rides a Bike,” and “Franklin’s Baby Sister.” The character also featured in a popular 1990s television series that followed Franklin’s gentle adventures with family and friends.

Top Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell dismissed the publisher’s concerns, stating, “We doubt Franklin the Turtle wants to be inclusive of drug cartels.”

The controversy comes amid increasing scrutiny of Hegseth’s leadership in the administration’s boat strike operations. A recent report revealed that Hegseth allegedly ordered troops to “kill everybody” during the initial strike on September 2, which reportedly led to a controversial “double tap” strike on a vessel. This revelation has intensified concerns about potential war crimes in the military operation.

Representative Adam Smith of Washington, the leading Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, criticized Hegseth’s social media post, stating, “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.”

UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter Terrorism Ben Saul went further, calling for Hegseth and President Donald Trump to 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 stated on social media, adding that they “should be arrested & charged with ordering the mass murder of 80 people.”

The controversy has even sparked bipartisan concern, with Republican leaders of the Armed Services Committees in both the House and Senate announcing their own investigations into reports of the “double tap” strike and allegations that military officials misrepresented the rationale for the strike in Congressional briefings.

The escalating scrutiny places Hegseth and potentially other officials throughout the chain of command under increased pressure, even as the White House appears to be directing responsibility for the second strike toward Admiral Mitch Bradley.

As investigations continue, the incident highlights growing tensions surrounding the administration’s military operations and raises significant questions about command decisions, transparency with Congress, and adherence to international law in counter-narcotics operations.