Hegseth enrages Canada by mocking appearance of female military cadets

Washington: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has added to Canada’s growing list of grievances against the Trump administration by mocking the appearance of female military cadets in a nighttime social media jibe.

Hegseth published a screenshot of an Instagram post by the Vernon Cadet Training Centre depicting two young women in uniform. “This is real,” he wrote, along with an emoji of the Canadian flag.

The post appeared to ridicule the appearance of at least one of the women in the photograph. Hegseth has made physical fitness a focus of his time running the US military, and recently announced male and female officers will have their testosterone levels monitored.

Hegseth published the post just hours after it was reported that US army secretary Dan Driscoll had resigned amid long-standing tensions with the defence secretary.

Driscoll joins several other senior military personnel who departed this year, including former navy secretary John Phelan and two army generals.

Hegseth’s post angered Canadians including Prime Minister Mark Carney, and comes at a time of escalating hostility between the two neighbours over trade and the broader relationship.

On Monday (US time), Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Carney of turning the trade dispute into a political shouting match, and also took the opportunity to mock Canada’s military.

“We’re not at war with Canada,” he said. “How are we going to be at war with Canada? What, are they going to take their two submarines from the Edmonton Mall and sic ’em on us?”

Asked on Tuesday about the creeping insults from members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, Carney said: “It’s beneath their office.” Trade talks could only continue if US officials improved their behaviour, he added.

“When the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, stop trying to be tough and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions,” Carney told reporters. “It’s not constructive, but that’s their democracy.”

Canada has announced 50 per cent tariffs on about $US20 billion of American imports, to commence next week, as retaliation for tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. Carney has called the state of affairs a trade war.

There is widespread anger in Canada about the US’ actions, which follow Trump’s taunts about turning Canada into the 51st state. And last week, he announced the US was renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America”.

The picture mocked by Hegseth depicted two women from the Vernon Cadet Training Centre in Canada’s province of British Columbia. The centre recently completed a summer training camp for teenagers to learn adult skills.

“Unlike Secretary Hegseth, they do not deserve contempt or ridicule,” said Connor Ewing, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto, on X.