Hegseth social media post mocking Canadian cadets draws criticism

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced widespread criticism on Tuesday after posting a social media message that mocked female members of Canada's youth cadet program. The post, made on Monday evening, targeted an image of a female instructor and a young cadet during an awards ceremony, drawing swift condemnation from Canadian officials, veterans, and former U.S. lawmakers.

Hegseth shared a screenshot from the Instagram account of the Vernon Cadet Training Centre in British Columbia. The photo depicted a female officer from the Cadet Instructors Cadre presenting a medal to a young girl in a Canadian army cadet uniform. Hegseth captioned the image with a Canadian flag emoji and the words "this is real," a remark widely interpreted as a comment on the instructor's physical appearance. The post quickly garnered millions of views and immediate backlash.

Critics pointed out that the Canadian Cadet Program is a federally funded youth initiative for individuals aged 12 to 17, not a frontline military unit. "Cadets do great work, and are not members of the military," wrote Canadian Member of Parliament Garnett Genuis in response. He reminded Hegseth of the historical alliance between...