Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparked new outrage after posting a meme on X that appeared to mock growing accusations—raised by both Republicans and Democrats—that he may have committed war crimes. As Trump publicly distanced himself from Hegseth following his “kill them all” directive, which allegedly led to survivors of a suspected drug-boat attack being fired upon as they clung to their vessel, Hegseth reposted an image of children’s book character Franklin the Turtle shooting from a helicopter, adding: “For your Christmas wish list…” Critics across the political spectrum condemned the post, calling Hegseth “sick,” “pathetic,” and unfit to lead the Pentagon. Some warned the meme could be used against him in a future trial, while others noted the apparent copyright issues behind misusing the Franklin character. The incident intensified scrutiny around Hegseth’s conduct and the administration’s handling of the alleged attack.
Hegseth scrutinized for posting violent meme amid growing war crime accusations
