Pete Hegseth Trolls Narco Terrorists (And We Can't Stop Laughing)

Pete Hegseth, the current U.S. Secretary of Defense (renamed to "Secretary of War"), posted a troll meme on X today suggesting "Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists" as a Christmas wish list item.

The image depicts Franklin the Turtle, a character from a popular children's book series, dressed in military gear, firing a rocket from a helicopter at boats carrying armed narco-terrorists and drug bales in a tropical setting. It's clearly a satirical or AI-generated fake book cover meant to mock or highlight aggressive anti-drug operations.

This post comes amid ongoing controversies surrounding Hegseth, including investigations into his past conduct and criticisms of his qualifications for the role, with some viewing it as reckless taunting of critics who accuse him of promoting unchecked military actions without due process. Supporters see it as bold humor aligning with his hardline stance on border security and combating cartels, praising it for upsetting liberals who they claim support narco traffickers.

Reactions on X and elsewhere are split: some call it "legendary trolling" and a fun jab at holiday gift ideas, while others label Hegseth a "clown" or "TV reject" unfit for office, tying it to broader attacks on his personal history like alleged domestic issues and lack of high-level experience. It's part of a pattern of Hegseth using social media for provocative posts, including previous trolling of figures like Sen. Mark Kelly.

Overall, it's a classic example of Hegseth's style, blending military bravado with meme culture to rally his base while inflaming opponents.