Garnett Genuis says cadets in Hegseth's post are not military members
Garnett GenuisMember of the Canadian Parliament
Genuis corrected the apparent premise of the post by explaining that the cadets are youth-program participants rather than members of Canada’s military.
Responding to
The people shown were participants in a youth cadet program, and the cadets themselves were not members of the Canadian military.
“Cadets do great work, and are not members of the military.”
Reporting
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
Canadian Press report preserving the original post, the Pentagon's limited response, and political context about the Canadian cadet program and military relationship.
Reporting
About this source
Reports Canadian official and organizational responses while describing the post as widely interpreted as mocking the participants' appearance.
Before the quotation
Commentators interpreted Hegseth’s unexplained caption as a jab at Canada’s armed forces.
After the quotation
Genuis also noted Canada’s combat losses alongside the United States in Afghanistan.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The response challenges the factual characterization implied by using the cadet image to comment on Canadian military capability.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Pete Hegseth, United States Department of Defense
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“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
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- Garnett Genuis says cadets in Hegseth's post are not military members
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The Dispute Index. "Garnett Genuis says cadets in Hegseth's post are not military members". First published: 2026-09-11. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/397-genuis-corrected-the-apparent-premise-of-the-post