Jump to contentAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced widespread criticism and accusations of body shaming after posting a picture on social media appearing to mock a Canadian youth cadet instructor. Veterans, academics, and former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger condemned the post, asserting that the Secretary of Defense should not be bullying teenagers in a youth organization. Critics highlighted Hegseth's previous opposition to women serving in combat roles and his history of publicly criticizing military personnel's physical appearances. The social media backlash follows internal friction at the Department of Defense, including the recent resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. The controversy coincides with heightened political and trade tensions between the United States and Canada, including President Trump placing 50 percent tariffs on Canadian exports. In fullHegseth accused of ‘body shaming’ cadet youth instructor amid Pentagon exodusMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Why is the defense secretary more worried about fat-shaming women than the war we’ve been waging for over six months?

The embattled defense secretary actually found the time to be incredibly mean to someone far removed from the U.S. military.

Defense Secretary accused of ‘bullying’ after sharing image of Canadian woman on X