A social media post by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, which critics describe as body-shaming female members of a Canadian youth development program, remained online on Wednesday despite significant backlash.
On Monday night, Mr. Hegseth posted a photograph on X showing two individuals in uniform with a Canadian flag, captioned “this is real.” This was seen as an apparent attempt to mock Canada’s armed forces amidst the Trump administration’s trade dispute with its northern neighbour.
The photograph originated from an Instagram post by the Vernon Cadet Training Centre in British Columbia, which hosted a summer camp for teenagers. Critics stated that the subjects are not members of Canada’s front-line military, with one person likely a volunteer instructor and the other a teenager.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the post “beneath the office” of the secretary of defense. He urged Washington to “start being serious” about de-escalating trade tensions, following what he described as a “bullying campaign” by the Trump administration.
David Eby, the premier of British Columbia, echoed these sentiments, while the civilian Army Cadet League of Canada accused Mr. Hegseth of online harassment. Former Republican US congressman Adam Kinzinger and Democratic Arizona senator Ruben Gallego also criticised the post.
The Pentagon, however, defended Mr. Hegseth, with deputy press secretary Jacob Bliss stating on Tuesday that “The X post speaks for itself.”