The Dispute Index

Garnett Genuis

Canadian member of Parliament.

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Case

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.

SexismU.S. PoliticsUpdated

Statements by Garnett Genuis

Garnett Genuis

Role at the time: Member of the Canadian Parliament

Challenged the characterization

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."
Why we used this label

The response challenges the factual characterization implied by using the cadet image to comment on Canadian military capability.

Pentagon defends Hegseth's post about Canadian cadet program (opens in a new tab)Paragraphs describing the original post, Pentagon response, and Garnett Genuis response.
Read statementDid Pete Hegseth’s “this is real” post mock Canadian cadets?

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