# Pete Hegseth criticized for body-shaming Canadian cadet program members

https://mins.news/en/item/42199

- The Guardian, 2026-09-02 14:44 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/02/pete-hegseth-body-shaming-post

> US defense secretary Pete Hegseth is facing condemnation after posting a photo of members of a Canadian youth cadet program with the caption “this is real”, apparently mocking Canada’s armed forces during a trade dispute. Critics said the subjects were not front-line troops and that one was a teenager. Canadian officials and veterans called the post unacceptable, while the Pentagon defended it.

## Stories

- [Canada US trade and tariff tensions](https://mins.news/en/topic/canada-us-trade-tensions) — Markdown: https://mins.news/en/topic/canada-us-trade-tensions.md

## Related coverage

- [Canadian officials condemn Hegseth cadet post as ‘below the dignity of the office’](https://mins.news/en/item/43166) — BBC News, 2026-09-02
- [‘What an embarrassment’: Eby derides Hegseth’s controversial post about B.C. cadets](https://mins.news/en/video/40829) — Global News, 2026-09-01
- [U.S. Pentagon defends Pete Hegseth’s post about Canada’s cadet program](https://mins.news/en/item/40614) — CBC News, 2026-09-01