Franklin the Turtle book publisher condemns ‘violent’ post by U.S. defense secretary
Kids Can Press condemned Hegseth's doctored meme of Franklin the Turtle firing at drug boats, citing misrepresentation of the character's values amid scrutiny of U.S. strikes killing over 80 people.
- On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted an AI-generated image of Franklin with the caption, 'For your Christmas wish list,' prompting Kids Can Press to condemn the violent use of Franklin’s image.
- After reporting on Sept. 2 that alleged orders targeted survivors, The Washington Post reported Hegseth gave a spoken order to kill the entire crew, while The White House said he authorized Adm. Frank M. Bradley to carry out the strikes amid increased oversight.
- Reporting shows more than 80 deaths and at least 21 strikes since September, with senators condemning Hegseth's meme and Kelly saying `He is in the national command authority for nuclear weapons and he's putting out & turtles with rocket-propelled grenades.`
- Lawmakers escalated calls for accountability as the House and Senate Armed Services Committees opened investigations and Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., called Hegseth a disgrace.
- Beyond domestic politics, the episode matters because United Nations experts called the attacks extrajudicial killings, Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused President Donald Trump of murder, and the Franklin franchise spans over 30 books with more than 65 million copies sold.
64 Articles
64 Articles
‘Franklin the Turtle’ publisher calls out Hegseth’s ‘violent’ post featuring beloved turtle
The publisher of the “Franklin the Turtle” children’s book series responded Monday after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared a “violent” depiction of the beloved character on X. Hegseth’s post features Franklin dressed in U.S. military gear, shooting at boats from a helicopter with the title “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.” Hegseth shared the post on Sunday, saying, “For your Christmas wish list.” Following the post, backlash flooded in, i…
Publisher of "beloved Canadian icon" Franklin the Turtle lashes out at Pete Hegeseth sharing a hilarious meme
Watch Louder with Crowder every weekday at 11:00 AM Eastern, only on Rumble Premium!The publisher of the cartoon series “Franklin the Turtle” is having a cow over Pete Hegseth’s use of Franklin in a meme posted on social media. This is because the left can’t take a joke, and they want everyone to be as miserable as they are.pic.twitter.com/uYUF68eDyI— kidscanpress (@KidsCanPress) December 1, 2025 According to Fox News: On Sunday, Hegseth shared …
Hegseth's 'Franklin The Turtle' Meme Condemned By Book's Author/Publisher
The drunken asshole that Trump named Secretary of Defense, and later stupidly confirmed by Senate Republicans, may have finally crossed the Rubicon when he posted a meme using a beloved children's book character. Source: Washington Post The publisher of “Franklin the Turtle,” a Canadian book franchise aimed at preschoolers, has expressed criticism after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to make light of deadly boat strikes in Latin America…
'Franklin the Turtle' publisher condemns Hegseth's 'unauthorized use' of character in narco-terror meme
The publisher of the iconic children's book series "Franklin the Turtle" issued a statement on social media Monday condemning Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's "violent" and "unauthorized use" of their character in a meme posted to X.On Sunday, Hegseth shared a meme parodying the Franklin series, depicting the turtle firing a rocket-propelled grenade launcher at armed men in boats under the title "Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists." "For your Chri…
Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's defense minister, hijacked the famous turtle from children's books to promote his strikes against the "narcoterrorists."
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

























