MP Anderson: Hegseth "should be ashamed" of "cheap shot" at cadets
Scott AndersonMember of Parliament for Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee
Conservative MP Scott Anderson, whose riding includes the mocked cadets, condemned Hegseth's post as "a cheap shot at women and children," saying Hegseth "should be ashamed."
“You should be ashamed ... You took a cheap shot at women and children in my riding.”
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
Vernon Morning Star report by Brendan Shykora, republished by the Chilliwack Progress, on Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee MP Scott Anderson's Sept. 1 Facebook post criticizing Hegseth's "this is real" post about Vernon cadets. The report quotes Anderson's post at length.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Responding to Hegseth's post as the MP representing the riding where the mocked cadets are based.
After the quotation
No further public follow-up had been reported as of this writing.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Anderson directly condemns Hegseth's post as a 'cheap shot' targeting constituents in his own riding, saying Hegseth should be ashamed.
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- 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
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The Dispute Index. "MP Anderson: Hegseth "should be ashamed" of "cheap shot" at cadets". First published: 2026-09-17. Last updated: 2026-09-25. https://disputeindex.com/events/878-conservative-mp-scott-anderson-whose-riding-includes-the