The Canadian publisher behind the Franklin children’s books has publicly criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after he shared an image of the beloved turtle character attacking what appeared to be a drug boat.
On Sunday evening, Hegseth’s X account posted a mock book cover depicting Franklin firing a rocket-propelled grenade from a helicopter at a vessel, under the fake title “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.” The post surfaced as the Trump administration faced growing scrutiny over a months-long campaign of U.S. boat strikes in waters around South America — including a reported second strike on Sept. 2 that allegedly targeted survivors in the water after an initial attack.
On Monday, Toronto-based Kids Can Press, which publishes the Franklin series, issued a statement on social media distancing itself from the image and its message.
“Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity,” the company said. “We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.”
Kids Can Press publishes more than a dozen picture books that follow Franklin as he learns life lessons with his family and friends, in titles such as Franklin Rides a Bike, Franklin Goes to School and Franklin Goes to the Hospital. The stories have also been adapted into television series.
CBS News has requested additional comment from Kids Can Press. In a statement Monday night, Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell responded: “We doubt Franklin the Turtle wants to be inclusive of drug cartels… or laud the kindness and empathy of narco-terrorists.”
The meme also drew criticism from Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, a retired Navy captain who is currently under a contentious Pentagon investigation for appearing in a video that urged service members not to follow illegal orders.
“He is in the national command authority for nuclear weapons, and last night he’s putting out, on the internet, turtles with rocket-propelled grenades,” Kelly told reporters. “I mean, have you seen this? This is the secretary of defense. This is not a serious person.”
The uproar over the Franklin image comes on the heels of reporting by The Washington Post that the U.S. military conducted more than one strike on a single boat on Sept. 2, allegedly killing two survivors from the initial attack after Hegseth ordered that everyone on board be killed. The White House confirmed Monday that a second strike did occur, but denied that Hegseth personally ordered it.
Several Democratic lawmakers have suggested that the second strike could amount to a war crime, citing domestic and international laws that prohibit attacking wounded individuals or those who no longer pose a threat. A Pentagon manual, for example, states that “wounded, sick, or shipwrecked” combatants must not be targeted.
The Trump administration maintains that its boat operations comply with the law and argues that the strikes are essential to combating drug trafficking.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that Adm. Frank Bradley, who oversaw the Sept. 2 mission, “worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.”
Hegseth, for his part, posted on social media Monday that Bradley “is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since.”
