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

Defence Secretary's Tweet Sparks Backlash Over 'Violent' Franklin the Turtle Depiction

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has faced condemnation from the publisher of a beloved Canadian children's book series after posting a mock-up cover featuring the main character, Franklin the Turtle, wielding a rocket launcher and targeting a cluster of boats.

The image, which was captioned as a Christmas wish list item, depicted an anthropomorphic turtle in military gear and a US flag on his arm, with a drug-laden boat exploding in the background. Critics have accused Hegseth's tweet of mocking the use of lethal force in counter-terrorism operations, which has been widely condemned as illegal.

The book series, which has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, is known for its gentle and moral lessons, rather than politics. The publisher, Kids Can Press, has stated that it "strongly condemns any denigrating, violent or unauthorized use of Franklin's name or image," which directly contradicts the values of kindness, empathy and inclusivity embodied by the character.

The controversy comes as Hegseth was recently reported to have commanded military personnel to target all individuals on board vessels following a string of deadly US strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific. Two survivors were killed during a second strike, prompting outrage over the use of lethal force.

The Pentagon's law of war manual prohibits making wounded, sick or shipwrecked individuals the object of attack. Despite this, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that the strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats were conducted in international waters and in accordance with the law of armed conflict.

OMG, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE???? DEFENSE SECRETARY PATE HEGSETH JUST POSTED THE MOST CRINGE-WORTHY TWEET EVER!!! I MEAN WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND THINKS IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO SHOW FRANKLIN THE TURTLE WIELDING A ROCKET LAUNCHER AND TARGETING BOATS???? that's just sick and twisted, dude! the guy's all about counter-terrorism, but does he care about how his words affect others? Newsflash: YOU CAN'T JUST MOCK VIOLENCE AND EXPECT PEOPLE TO FORGET ABOUT IT!!!

i'm totally Team Franklin here the book series is all about promoting kindness and empathy, not some twisted military agenda. what's next? Are they gonna post a tweet with SpongeBob SquarePants wielding a tank? this whole thing just screams "we're out of touch" to me. and can we talk for a second about how hypocritical it is that Hegseth was recently reported on commanding military personnel to target wounded people? like, what's the difference between that and mocking a beloved children's character?!

This is getting weird - I mean, come on, a children's book character like Franklin the Turtle being used to make a joke about violence? It's just tone deaf . Pete Hegseth's tweet was already problematic given his background in counter-terrorism, but now it seems like he's trying to use a beloved kids' character to deflect from his own actions . The fact that Kids Can Press is speaking out against this is great - it's about time someone stood up for the values of kindness and empathy that their books are supposed to represent . I'm not sure if Hegseth even understands what kind of impact a tweet like this can have, especially when you're already in a position of power .

man this is so messed up ! I mean what's next? making kids want to be a drone pilot at 12 years old?! The whole thing just stinks, from the book series being all about kindness & empathy to someone like Pete Hegseth messing with it like that. Can't believe he thought it was funny . It's not cool, dude! We gotta stand up for what's right here... Kids shouldn't have to be taught that war is cool just because some politician thinks so . And honestly, can we talk about how confusing it is when people say the strikes were done in international waters? Like, isn't that supposed to be a safe zone or something? Anyway, I'm all for holding those in power accountable, especially if they're gonna use innocent kids as a prop .

OMG, like, can you even believe what Pete Hegseth did?! He's literally trying to troll people by making a sick cover for this kids' book series but it's actually super dark and violent... I mean, who needs that kind of stress when you're reading about Franklin the Turtle having a chill Christmas? The thing is, though, those books are supposed to be all about spreading love and kindness, not war and violence. It's like, totally out of whack.

I'm so not surprised, though... I mean, our dude Hegseth has been in some hot water before over his military tactics, and now this? Yeah, it's just another example of him being super reckless with people's lives. And don't even get me started on the fact that he's basically glorifying the targeting of innocent civilians - it's straight up unacceptable.

Kids Can Press is right to call BS on this whole thing, though... they need to protect their brand from something like this. I mean, who wants to associate their books with violence and trauma? Not me, that's for sure!

omg what was pete hegseth thinking lol i dont get why he gotta do a parody tweet like that especially when franklin's all about spreading kindness & empathy i mean, its like, totally not his style and btw those canadian kids love franklin for being gentle & fun, not for blasting boats with rocket launchers isnt this just another case of ppl getting too serious? can we just chill for a sec?

This is bloody insane . I mean, come on! Pete Hegseth must've been having a laugh when he thought it was a good idea to trash Franklin the Turtle like that. The kid's just trying to spread some positivity and kindness, and what does our Defence Secretary do? He goes and ruins it with this sick joke of a tweet. And let me get this straight - we're talking about a character who's all about friendship and sharing, not blowing up boats left and right! What's next, is he gonna post a cover for 'Franklin the Turtle Gets a New Helmet' featuring him in a tank?! It's just disgusting. I mean, can't we find some other way to show solidarity without insulting innocent characters? The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that this whole thing was a publicity stunt gone wrong... or maybe Hegseth just needs a kick up the bum

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple." Pete Hegseth's tweet was a huge mistake, it seems like he didn't think about the consequences of his actions before posting it online. As a Defence Secretary, he should know better than to make fun of something that could be perceived as mocking the use of lethal force in counter-terrorism operations. The fact that Kids Can Press is speaking out against Hegseth's tweet shows that they stand by their values of kindness, empathy and inclusivity. It's not just about Franklin the Turtle, it's about respecting people's feelings and opinions.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke

This whole situation just blows my mind, like, what's going on with these politicians? They can't even show respect for children's books and characters, let alone think about the consequences of their actions. It's not just about Franklin the Turtle, it's about all the kids who look up to this character for moral guidance. And then there's this Defence Secretary guy who thinks he's above criticism... meanwhile, two people lost their lives in those strikes. What happened to empathy and kindness?

[Image of a turtle wearing a rocket pack and sunglasses, with a "Mission: Impossible" theme playing in the background]

OMG what's going on with this guy?! Defence Sec Pete Hegseth is really testing the limits here . I mean, who thought it was a good idea to put Franklin the Turtle, a beloved children's character, in a military uniform and holding a rocket launcher? It's like he wants to show the world that even cute turtles can be violent .

And to make matters worse, his tweet comes at the same time when there are real-life concerns about counter-terrorism operations using lethal force . I don't think this is funny or cool , it's just insensitive and cruel .

Kids Can Press really needs to speak up here and remind everyone that Franklin's message of kindness, empathy, and inclusivity should never be compromised by a joke like this . I'm not sure what the Defence Sec is trying to achieve with this tweet, but it's definitely backfiring

omg can you believe Pete Hegseth's tweet it's literally so out of line! he's basically glorifying violence and war, which is not something to be taken lightly franklin the turtle is all about kindness and friendship, not rocket launchers and explosions i mean what's next, making a joke about wars on social media? it's so unprofessional and insensitive. and to think he's in charge of our country's defense... the book series has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, that's like, a lot of kids who are now being taught violence as a solution instead of empathy and understanding i just can't even

omg i cant even... so the defence sec is trying to be funny but really hes just being super insensitive franklin the turtle is like this adorable, gentle dude who teaches kids about kindness and empathy, not some military mascot and now hes got people calling him out for mocking violence against civilians its crazy how something thats meant to be light can end up being so hurtful i wish ppl would think before posting stuff like that

Wow the Defence Secretary's tweet was so out of touch! I mean, who thought it was a good idea to put a cartoon turtle with a rocket launcher? It's like, Franklin is supposed to be all about kindness and friendship, not some violent character from a bad 90s action flick. And on top of that, the guy's just recently been in the news for ordering strikes that killed people who were trying to survive . No wonder the book publisher is not having it... Interesting