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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Leyland Cecco in Toronto

Publisher condemns ‘violent’ use of Franklin the Turtle after Hegseth’s boat strike post

a man in a suit and wearing an earpiece
Pete Hegseth in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on 26 November. Photograph: Orlando Barría/EPA

A post on social media by US defense secretary Pete Hegseth, depicting a beloved children’s character aiming a rocket launcher at a cluster of boats, has elicited condemnation from the book’s Canadian publisher.

Hegseth’s post of the mocked cover of a Franklin the Turtle book titled Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists prompted disbelief and outrage. The image shows a smiling anthropomorphic turtle in military helmet and vest, with a US flag on his arm and a drug-laden boat exploding in the background. “For your Christmas wish list,” Hegseth wrote as the caption.

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