Pete Hegseth appears to have found yet another important use for his time as defense secretary: mocking Canadian female cadets on social media.
As his own department deals with considerable turmoil, Hegseth took aim at a photo featuring female members of the Canadian Armed Forces Cadet Program participating in a fitness challenge. Rather than simply scrolling past it, Hegseth decided to weigh in with a snide remark about their physical abilities.
The timing was, to put it mildly, interesting. The Pentagon has been dealing with upheaval, including the departure of senior officials. Still, Hegseth apparently had enough room on his schedule to concern himself with the fitness of Canadian teenagers in a youth military program.
The cadet program is designed to provide young people with leadership, citizenship and physical fitness training. These aren't Canadian special forces troops whose battlefield performance Hegseth was being asked to evaluate. They're cadets.
Hegseth's decision to publicly mock them drew an immediate backlash, especially given his position and the fact that he was targeting young women participating in a military-related program belonging to one of America's closest allies.
The irony is hard to miss. Hegseth has repeatedly presented himself as a champion of military strength and capability. Yet when his own department is experiencing turmoil, he seems to have found an especially pressing national-security issue: Canadian girls doing pushups.
Priorities, apparently.
Hegseth's remark didn't go down well on the Bad App:
The photo is from Canada's Cadet program (youth 12-18), not the regular military. stupid.
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) September 1, 2026
Just a vile, insecure scumbag and a disgrace to the US military.
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 1, 2026
Your point??? Mouth full of scripture, liver full of booze, heart full of hate.
— Irishrygirl (@irishrygirl) September 1, 2026
One big question I have is: why is Pete scrolling through images of young cadets instead of “winning” the Special Military Operation in Iran? pic.twitter.com/qvEa4jGKi2
— Matt Worthington 🇨🇦 (@MattyWorthy32B) September 1, 2026
🇺🇸 (this is real) https://t.co/aeyUhgPytP pic.twitter.com/lU1D1PxRG9
— ProudCanRobz 🇨🇦 (@RMapleCan) September 1, 2026
Literally they’re kids. This is a cadet program and our ass hat of a Secdef is making fun of children.
MAGA males are betas who have to punch down to feel big https://t.co/fyGi9kjxjb— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@AdamKinzinger) September 1, 2026
Doesn't he have anything better to do than to pick on kids - or is being a 4Chan-style raging c*nt part of his job requirements in the Trump era?


