Pete Hegseth faces condemnation from cartoon publisher, and their words are more arsenal against him amid already mounting war crime allegations

The publisher of the beloved children’s book series Franklin the Turtle has officially condemned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, slamming what they called a “violent” depiction of the cartoon character, as per The Hill. This public outrage is just one more headache for Hegseth as he deals with serious allegations regarding strikes he authorized on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean.

Over the weekend, Hegseth shared a mock book cover on X. The image showed the iconic cartoon turtle in military garb, firing a rocket-propelled grenade right toward a drug-smuggling vessel. The fake cover was labeled, “A Classic Franklin Story,” and was given the made-up title, “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.” Below the helicopter where Franklin is stationed, you can see three boats carrying what appears to be narcotics, with one already mid-explosion from a rocket strike.

The publisher, Kids Can Press, released a strong statement on X. They reminded everyone that “Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity.” They added that they “strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.”

Pete Hegseth is under fire from all directions

While the cartoon is certainly causing a stir, the real firestorm involves the deadly operations Hegseth authorized. Last week, The Washington Post reported that the Defense secretary gave the explicit order to “kill everybody” aboard an alleged drug boat in early September. Following the initial strike, two survivors reportedly clung to the wreckage. The commander in charge then ordered a second strike, following the secretary’s mandate. These ongoing strikes have reportedly killed 83 people since September.

Hegseth insists the reporting is “fake news” and that the strikes were absolutely “lawful.” However, the White House confirmed on Monday that Hegseth did authorize that second attack, though they defended the legality of the overall operations.

This hasn’t satisfied lawmakers, and both Democratic and Republican members of the Armed Services committees in the House and Senate are calling for a full investigation. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) stated that they will get to the bottom of this. He said, “We’re going to have an investigation. We’re going to have a public hearing. We’re going to put these folks under oath. And we’re going to find out what happened. And then, there needs to be accountability.”

President Trump weighed in on Sunday, saying he has “great confidence” in Hegseth. However, the president seemed to distance himself from the specific “kill everybody” order. Trump claimed he “100 percent” believed the Defense secretary’s assertion that he never gave that particular command.

Amid all this severe turmoil and the mounting war crime allegations, Hegseth defended Navy Adm. Frank Bradley, who oversaw the operations, calling the commander an “American hero.”