Dimitri Soudas says mocking cadets reflects on the person doing it
Dimitri SoudasFormer director of communications to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, posting on X
Dimitri Soudas, a former director of communications to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, wrote on X that mocking young people in cadet uniforms says far more about the person doing the mocking than about them. The Globe and Mail also reported that he said the Canadian Cadet Organizations help young Canadians develop leadership, discipline, self-confidence and a commitment to their communities.
“Mocking these young people says far more about the person doing the mocking than it ever will about the young people wearing the uniform”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Did Pete Hegseth’s “this is real” post mock Canadian cadets?
On September 1, 2026, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reposted an image from the Vernon Cadet Training Centre showing a cadet receiving an award from an instructor, adding a Canadian flag and the words “this is real.” Canadian officials, a cadet organization, a Republican member of Congress, and George Clooney characterized the post as mocking, demeaning, or beneath the dignity of Hegseth’s office. The Pentagon stood by the post but did not specify what the caption meant.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
The Globe and Mail report, with a report from The Canadian Press, on the response across Canada's political spectrum to Hegseth's post about a Canadian cadet training centre. It quotes Prime Minister Mark Carney, B.C. Premier David Eby, Jason Kenney, Dimitri Soudas and MP Garnett Genuis, and the Pentagon's reply.
Before the quotation
On Monday night, Hegseth shared an image from the Vernon Cadet Training Centre in British Columbia with a Canadian flag emoji and the words "This is real."
After the quotation
Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters the post was beneath their office. The Pentagon's deputy press secretary said the X post speaks for itself.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether Hegseth's post mocked Canadian cadets. Soudas wrote that mocking these young people says far more about the person doing the mocking than about the young people in uniform. The Globe and Mail included it among the responses to the post. It treats the post as mockery and criticizes the person behind it, so we labeled it Condemned.
- Recorded on
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- People and groups discussed
- Pete Hegseth
More from this case
Read the full caseMichael Gendron says Hegseth's post invited mockery of women cadets
“an obvious invitation to mock the women’s appearance.”Read statement
Jonathan V. Last calls Hegseth "a cretin" over the Canadian cadets post
“The super butch secretary of WAR is making fun of an American ally... These are not Canadian soldiers. The Canadian Army is not a woke, Marxist polycule... So Pete Hegseth is a cretin.”Read statement
Former Canadian MP Charlie Angus says the Pentagon is "trolling Canadian teenagers who volunteer to serve our nation"
“I am not surprised that the Pentagon supports trolling Canadian teenagers who volunteer to serve our nation. We are proud of our cadets.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Dimitri Soudas says mocking cadets reflects on the person doing it". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3413-dimitri-soudas-a-former-director-of-communications-to