Fred Wellman says Hegseth is mocking kids in a junior cadet program
Fred WellmanDemocratic nominee for Congress in Missouri's 2nd district and Army combat veteran, replying on X
Fred Wellman, an Army combat veteran and the Democratic nominee in Missouri's 2nd congressional district, replied to Hegseth's post that he was "mocking kids" in "a junior cadet program" and called him "a pathetic small man."
“You’re mocking kids. This is a junior cadet program. What a pathetic small man you are.”
Original post
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
Original post
About this source
Wellman's own reply on X to Pete Hegseth's September 1, 2026 post of an image from the Vernon Cadet Training Centre. The New Republic quoted the same reply.
Reporting
About this source
The New Republic report of September 1, 2026 on the response to Hegseth's cadet post. It quotes Fred Wellman's reply on X and the Pentagon's response.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
On September 1, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted an image from the Vernon Cadet Training Centre in British Columbia showing an instructor presenting a cadet with an award, with a Canadian flag and the caption "(this is real)." Wellman replied directly under the post.
After the quotation
The same reply goes on to call Hegseth a broken soul who was always trying to break the system, and says he was "mentally weak." The New Republic quoted the reply in its report on the backlash.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Hegseth's "this is real" post about the Vernon cadet image. Wellman reads the post as mockery of children in a youth program and attacks Hegseth for it. That is an express criticism of the conduct, so we labeled it Condemned. Challenged the characterization loses because, beyond noting that the subjects were cadets, he condemns the post as mocking them. Evidence level: the speaker's own reply on X, also quoted by The New Republic.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- 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
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Fred Wellman says Hegseth is mocking kids in a junior cadet program
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/4797-fred-wellman-an-army-combat-veteran-and-the
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Fred Wellman says Hegseth is mocking kids in a junior cadet program". First published: 2026-10-06. Last updated: 2026-10-06. https://disputeindex.com/events/4797-fred-wellman-an-army-combat-veteran-and-the