The publisher behind the celebrated Franklin the Turtle series of children's books is now speaking out in protest after President Donald Trump's Secretary of Defense shared an image of the character shooting at drug boats.

As controversy has erupted over reporting that military officials were under orders to shoot defenseless shipwreck survivors of a vessel taken out as a suspected drug boat — an action widely condemned by experts as a war crime — Hegseth doubled down, posting an AI-generated image of Franklin shooting missiles at boats out of a helicopter, below the title Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.

“For your Christmas wish list,” wrote Hegseth.

Speaking to The Independent, Kids Can Press, the publisher of the Franklin the Turtle series, fired back at Trump's Pentagon chief.

“Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity,” they said through a spokesperson. “We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.”

Meanwhile, noted The Independent, users fired back on X, posting their own AI-generated images of books with titles like Franklin Goes to The Hague, Franklin On Trial at the ICC, and Franklin Goes to Jail.

With the scandal exploding and a bipartisan group of lawmakers vowing to investigate, Hegseth has continued to defend the orders — but also shift blame for them, saying that the actual decision was made by Admiral Mitch Bradley, whom he "100% support[s]."