As experts have questioned the Trump administration’s legal arguments for airstrikes that have killed more than 80 alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on social media a contrived cartoon that shows children’s book character Franklin the Turtle firing a gun out of a helicopter at armed drug smugglers. Hegseth’s post, which includes the words “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists,” is childish, demeaning, unprofessional and embarrassing to the nation.
That all remains true even if the administration can legally justify its operations in the Caribbean.
Hegseth’s post, and his labeling it “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists,” is childish, demeaning, unprofessional and embarrassing to the nation.
Hegseth made the social media post Sunday, two days after The Washington Post, citing two people with direct knowledge of the operation, reported that on Sep. 2 he had ordered a so-called two-tap strike to ensure that survivors clinging to wreckage after an initial strike were killed in a follow-up strike. The newspaper’s report was a shocking allegation that suggested the U.S. military may have a committed a war crime, or even murder. Although the administration initially denied The Post’s reporting, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt admitted Monday that a second strike had occurred.
The newspaper’s report elevated the debate over the airstrikes into a national furor, and it was in that context that Hegseth made his “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists” post. Even if the Trump administration can present clear, cogent legal analysis that these attacks are lawful, and can explain why it killed what may have been two defenseless survivors, Hegseth’s post was cavalier and inappropriate. It is offensive not only to Americans, but also to our friends and allies as well as to millions of people around the world who look up to the United States as a nation that seeks to live by the law, values and basic decency. We are not North Korea, Iran or the Russian Federation.
Combat, death and killing are serious business. Every veteran knows that. Hegseth, a veteran, should know that, too. I firmly believe most veterans will find the secretary’s post distasteful and totally inappropriate. It dehumanizes those who were killed and trivializes the efforts of American military personnel serving in the Caribbean as well as the dangers they endure.
Publisher Kids Can Press released a statement Monday that read, “Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity. We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.”
Hegseth’s appalling social media post also sends the worst possible message to the more than 1 million service members who wear the uniform of the United States. It is part of the “warrior ethos” the secretary frequently extols that the U.S. military does not desecrate or dishonor the dead. But Hegseth’s post did just that.
As for the worrisome incident that was the focus of The Washington Post’s story, the administration now is shifting responsibility to Adm. Frank Bradley, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) arguing that the second-strike order was made by him in accordance with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Hegseth said, “I did not personally see survivors” after the first strike on the boat. “The thing was on fire,” he said, calling the smoke around the boat “the fog of war.” He says he didn’t “stick around” to view a second strike.
Congressional leaders have demanded access to the president’s order as well as the directive from Hegseth to Bradley to determine whether either document specifically directs the killing of all those aboard the vessel. They have also demanded all the video recordings of the strike. The administration has so far refused to release this information. Hegseth has praised Bradley and argued that the admiral’s actions were both legal and within his authority.
The American people expect the members of the United States military to follow the laws of warfare because it is the right thing to do, but we also do so to protect U.S. service members during combat. Our commitment to following the laws of warfare raises an expectation as well as the legal requirement that our opponent in a future war would not harm or kill American soldiers who were defenseless, who were trying to surrender or who no longer posed an imminent threat. We rightly prosecuted those few who committed such acts during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Every soldier prior to a deployment is briefed on the laws of warfare, which clearly explain these principles. One shudders to think how Hegseth would have reacted had he been in his current role during the Abu Ghraib disaster in Iraq. The “Franklin the Turtle” social media post is also insulting to congressional leaders, Democrats and Republicans, who have questioned the administration’s policies with respect to Venezuela as well as the legal foundation for these attacks. It shouldn’t be a surprise if Hegseth’s social media activity encourages more members of Congress to demand immediate hearings. Ultimately, it will be up to Hegseth’s boss, the president, to decide whether to hold Hegseth accountable for what happened on Sep. 2 as well as for his unprofessional response to questions being raised about what occurred that day. If Trump dismisses Hegseth, then perhaps the administration can regain some of the moral high ground it has casually discarded. If not, then one may assume the president shares the same view that killing people even when they are defenseless is legal and consistent with American values and can be appropriately described by a children’s storybook character.
Jeff McCausland
Jeff McCausland, a retired Army colonel, is a visiting professor at Dickinson College. He commanded a battalion in combat, was a member of the National Security Council and was dean of the U.S. Army War College. He is the author of a new book, "Battle Tested! Gettysburg Leadership Lessons," available on Amazon. 
