(MENAFN) US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has come under criticism for sharing an image depicting a popular children’s cartoon character attacking apparent drug traffickers. The post coincides with renewed scrutiny of the Trump administration’s lethal strikes on vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.

Hegseth shared the meme on X, designed as a mock book cover showing Franklin the Turtle in a military helicopter, armed with a bazooka and firing rockets at boats with armed gunmen.

The caption reads, “Franklin targets narco terrorists,” and Hegseth suggested adding the satirical book to Christmas wish lists.

While some commenters supported the crackdown on drug cartels, others condemned the post. The publisher of the Franklin book series, Kids Can Press, emphasized that the character represents “kindness, empathy, and inclusivity” and “strongly condemn[s] any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image.”

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell responded to the criticism, stating, “we doubt Franklin the turtle wants to be inclusive of drug cartels… or laud the kindness and empathy of narco-terrorists.”

Several lawmakers also criticized the meme. House Democrat Adam Smith commented that Hegseth “doesn’t understand the seriousness and the importance of the job that he has.”

The controversy comes amid allegations of war crimes against Hegseth. Last week, reports claimed he verbally ordered US forces to “kill everybody” on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean in early September. Hegseth has denied these claims, calling the reporting “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory,” and stressed that all targeted traffickers were affiliated with a designated terrorist organization.

The Trump administration maintains that the strikes on suspected drug boats are acts of self-defense, arguing that the vessels carry illicit substances intended for delivery to the US.

MENAFN03122025000045017640ID1110431486