U.S. Pentagon defends Pete Hegseth's post about Canada's cadet program
The U.S. Pentagon is standing behind a controversial social media post by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth about a Canadian cadet program.
On September 1, 2026, the Pentagon issued a statement defending a controversial post made by U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on social media. The post featured an image from the Cadet Training Centre in Vernon, British Columbia, displaying two young female cadets in uniform alongside the caption “this is real” and the Canadian flag.
Hegseth's post sparked significant backlash online, with some accusing him of unfairly targeting the youth program as a way to disparage the Canadian Armed Forces and the appearance of the cadets. In response to the criticism, Pentagon deputy press secretary Jacob Bliss stated, "the X post speaks for itself."
The post comes at a time of heightened tensions between Canada and the United States following the breakdown of trade talks the previous month. Prime Minister Mark Carney also expressed his disapproval of the message, calling it "beneath their office."
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- Pentagon defends Hegseth’s controversial post about Canadian cadet program toronto.citynews.ca
- Pentagon defends Pete Hegseth’s X post targeting Canadian cadets globalnews.ca
- Pentagon defends Hegseth’s controversial post about Canadian cadet program winnipegfreepress.com
