A young turtle from a Canadian children’s book series is caught in an international dispute after the US Department of Defense used the character in a cartoon about the murder of suspected drug traffickers.
The publisher of the “Franklin the Turtle” books criticizes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for a social media post showing the beloved children’s character shooting suspected criminals.
“We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image,” said publisher Kids Can Press.
The editor is not alone. Sabrina Carpenter lashed out at the White House on Tuesday for using her song in a video about immigrant deportation, saying it was “evil and disgusting.”
“Never involve me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” the singer posted.
The White House used the pop star’s music in a Dec. 1 social media post showing a compilation of ICE operations and captioned it as lyrics from her song Juno.
In the case of Franklin, the cartoon posted by Hegseth on social media is a mock book cover showing Franklin in a military helicopter firing a large gun at suspected drug boats. The fake headline reads: “Franklin targets narcoterrorists.”
The image comes amid a series of US attacks against suspected Venezuelan drug trafficking ships since early September. The Trump administration says it is acting in self-defense by attacking ships carrying illicit drugs to the United States.
Hegseth captioned the post: “For your Christmas wish list…”
Franklin, the 6-year-old cartoon turtle, is known for tackling everyday challenges, from learning to ride a bike to having his first sleepover.
He originated as the main character in the Canadian children’s book “Franklin the Turtle” and has grown to star in several television shows, films, video games and live productions.
“The Franklin Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and represents kindness, empathy and inclusivity,” publisher Kids Can Press said in its statement, adding that such a violent depiction “directly contradicts these values.”
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement late Monday that “We doubt Franklin the Turtle wants to include drug cartels…or praise the kindness and empathy of narcoterrorists.”
The artists credited with creating Franklin and authoring his books did not respond to BBC requests for comment.
In September, Pokémon said it had not given permission for its theme song and other images to be used in a video of the ICE deportation raid released by the US government.
British singer Jess Glynne also criticized White House officials in July after they used a viral Jet2holiday ad that featured her song in a video promoting deportations.
