"On Sunday, Hegseth posted a picture that appeared to be AI generated on X, showing the cover of a fake children's book entitled Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists. The picture shows children's character Franklin the Turtle, wearing U.S. military gear and perched on the side of a helicopter, shooting a missile at a boat in the water below, which holds a man with a gun and numerous parcels. Similar boats are nearby."
"Kids Can Press, the publisher of the Franklin the Turtle books, flamed Hegseth on Monday for his "unauthorized" use of the beloved children's character for war propaganda. "Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity," the publisher said in a statement. "We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin's name or image, which directly contradicts these values.""
United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth faces mounting criticism, including from a Canadian children's book publisher and a UN human rights expert, after revelations about his orders in the Trump administration's boat strike campaign. Hegseth posted an apparently AI-generated image on X showing a fake children's book cover titled Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists, depicting Franklin the Turtle in U.S. military gear firing a missile at a boat. Hegseth captioned the post, "For your Christmas wish list..." Kids Can Press condemned the unauthorized, violent use of Franklin's image, saying Franklin stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity.
Read at Truthout
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