George Clooney Blasts Pete Hegseth Over Post Mocking Canadian Cadet

Yves Herman/Evelyn Hockstein via Reuters Hollywood star George Clooney has blasted Pete Hegseth after the defense secretary body-shamed a young Canadian cadet online.

Speaking to reporters at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday, Clooney was asked for his views on the current political state of the U.S., and he offered the generous response of: “We’re in a moment of time that’s unfortunate.” “There’s a great word: kakistocracy, which is a country run by the least qualified people,” Clooney, a vocal Donald Trump critic , added.

“I think maybe we have a kakistocracy right now, but we’ll get through it.” Clooney also decried the lack of “decency” proudly on display in the Trump administration, citing a vile X post from Hegseth .

The macho-image-obsessed defense secretary shared an image of two women at the Cadet Training Centre in Vernon, with the caption “this is real” alongside a Canadian flag, mocking the physical appearance of one of them.

“The idea that cruelty is the base, that being cruel and unkind is part of the fun of all of this,” Clooney said.

“You see what the Secretary of Defense just tweeted out—a picture about women from the military in Canada—and you’re going, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ “Where’s the sense of decency in all of this? And I’m ashamed of all of that,” the two-time Oscar winner added.

Hegseth has received widespread criticism for his post mocking the Canadian cadets.

The post came as Trump reignited a trade war with Canada, one of America’s closest allies and neighbors, for no real reason.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Hegseth’s post was “beneath” the office of the Pentagon.

“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 added while discussing a possible trade deal.

Actor and director Clooney is at the Venice Film Festival to be awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

Speaking to reporters, Clooney said that while the country is going through a “difficult” time, he still has hope for the future.

“We will have an election in November that should be a check and balance, and then in 2028, with any luck, we’ll have some restoration into some normalcy,” he said.

The Daily Beast has contacted the Pentagon for comment.