According to the BBC, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing criticism in Canada after posting an image that appeared to mock members of the country’s cadet youth program. Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty said on Tuesday that the post was “below the dignity of the office,” while Prime Minister Mark Carney said trade talks would only resume when the Americans stopped “doing memes” and became serious about the discussions.
The Pentagon said the post “speaks for itself.” The Army Cadet League of Canada condemned online harassment of cadets, and Canada’s top military commander, General Jennie Carignan, said officials were consulting with the cadets involved on how they wanted to respond. The dispute comes as Canada and the US remain locked in a trade fight, with Washington imposing 50% tariffs on some $20bn of Canadian imports and Ottawa planning matching countermeasures next week.