Pete Hegseth Faces Backlash in Canada Over Mocking Social Media Post

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing criticism in Canada after sharing a social media post that appeared to mock members of the country’s youth cadet programme.

Hegseth reposted a photo from a local cadet training account showing a young cadet receiving an award from her instructor. He added a Canadian flag emoji along with the caption, “this is real,” which was widely interpreted as a dig at the appearance of the two women and a broader jab at Canada’s military.

Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty condemned the post, saying it was “below the dignity of the office.”

The controversy comes as the US and Canada remain locked in a trade dispute that has repeatedly spilled into public clashes between officials. The Trump administration has also frequently criticised Canada’s reliance on US military power for continental defence.

Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the issue on Tuesday, saying trade discussions would only resume when the US stops “doing memes,” “throwing shade” and “trying to be tough,” and instead becomes serious about negotiations.

The Pentagon has declined to elaborate, saying Hegseth’s post “speaks for itself.”

Canada’s national cadet programme, which is supported and overseen by the military, provides leadership and skills training to young people between the ages of 12 and 18.

The Army Cadet League of Canada strongly condemned the post, saying online harassment or mockery of cadets’ achievements was unacceptable.

“Directing derogatory commentary toward youth who are actively working to better themselves and serve their communities is unacceptable,” the organisation said.

Canada’s top military commander, General Jennie Carignan, said officials were in contact with the cadets involved and were consulting them about how they wanted to respond.

The post also drew criticism from Canadian politicians. Conservative MP Scott Anderson, a former military reservist, accused Hegseth of failing to show the “responsibility and decorum” expected from someone in his position.

Anderson said Hegseth had chosen to insult two female Canadian non-combatants and publicly shame them before millions of people.

The incident adds another layer of tension to already strained relations between Washington and Ottawa, with trade, defence and political disagreements continuing to dominate the relationship between the two neighbours.