'Franklin' publisher slams Hegseth for his post of the turtle firing on drug boats

'Franklin' publisher slams Hegseth for his post of the turtle firing on drug boats

Rachel Treisman

December 02, 2025 / 8:57 am

The publisher of the Franklin children's book series has rebuked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after he posted a meme of the anthropomorphic turtle firing on drug boats.

Hegseth's social media post from Sunday shows the turtle, clad in tactical gear, standing on a helicopter and aiming a machine gun at one of several boats in the water below. It's designed to look like an edition of the children's book, but titled Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists .

"For your Christmas wish list …" Hegseth wrote in the caption, as he faces growing scrutiny over the legality of a set of strikes on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean in early September.

On Monday, T