US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing sharp criticism from officials on both sides of the border after posting a mocking image of Canadian youth cadets on social media, in what many have condemned as an extension of the Trump administration's war of words with its northern neighbour.
On Monday night, Hegseth posted a photograph on X showing a young cadet receiving an award from her instructor, adding a Canadian flag emoji and the caption "this is real" — an apparent attempt to ridicule the appearance of those pictured and, by extension, Canada's military. The image was taken from the social media account of the Vernon Cadet Training Centre in British Columbia, a province on Canada's Pacific coast, which hosted a summer camp for teenagers last July. The national cadet programme, overseen by the Canadian military, offers leadership and skills training to young people aged 12 to 18. Critics were quick to point out that those pictured are not frontline soldiers: the person whose appearance Hegseth was mocking is likely a volunteer instructor, while the girl receiving the medal is believed to be no older than 18.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the post "beneath the office" of the secretary of defence, saying trade discussions could only resume "when the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, stop trying to be tough and start being serious." Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty echoed that view, describing the post as "below the dignity of the office." The Army Cadet League of Canada, a civilian organisation that supports the programme, condemned what it called online harassment, saying that "directing derogatory commentary toward youth who are actively working to better themselves and serve their communities is unacceptable." Canada's top military commander, General Jennie Carignan, said her office was in contact with the cadets involved about how they wished to respond.
Criticism also came from within the United States. Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman and military veteran, wrote that Hegseth was "making fun of children," while Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, a former marine, called the post "stupid" and "disrespectful." The Pentagon, for its part, declined to elaborate: deputy press secretary Jacob Bliss said only that the post "speaks for itself."
The incident lands at a particularly fraught moment in US–Canada relations. Trade talks collapsed last month after both sides accused each other of last-minute demands, leading Washington to impose 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian imports. The two countries have long been close defence partners — Canada supported the US in Afghanistan and has significantly increased its defence spending in recent months — but the relationship has grown increasingly tense, with exchanges ranging from Ontario Premier Doug Ford calling Trump a "loser" to the US president attempting to rename Lake Ontario by executive order. For Hegseth personally, the controversy adds to mounting domestic pressure: several senior military leaders have recently departed the Pentagon, and questions continue to swirl over the US handling of the ongoing conflict with Iran.