Pete Hegseth sparked controversy by posting a meme showing Franklin the Turtle as a helicopter gunner attacking alleged drug-smuggling boats, which coincided with recent military strikes that resulted in at least 80 deaths.The House and Senate Armed Services Committees launched investigations after reports emerged that Hegseth ordered all survivors killed following these operations.Kids Can Press, the Canadian publisher of Franklin, condemned the unauthorized violent use of Franklin’s image, as public figures like
Mark Kelly,
Chuck Schumer, and
Donald Trump weighed in on the incident and its fallout.