Defence Minister David McGuinty says a recent social media post by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth that targeted two Canadian cadets was “below the dignity of the office he holds.”
McGuinty’s comments echo those of Prime Minister Mark Carney, who had also said that the message was “beneath their office.”
The post comes amid increased tensions between Canada and the United States after trade talks broke down last month.
Speaking to reporter on Tuesday afternoon, McGuinty said that despite the “performative nature” of U.S. President Donald Trump’s cabinet secretaries, military cooperation between the two countries continues.
On Monday Hegseth, a former Fox News personality, posted a photo from the Cadet Training Centre in Vernon, B.C. showing two young women in uniform with the caption “this is real.”
The post was widely taken as disparaging the appearance of the women serving in the cadet program and has since spurred widespread condemnation.
A spokesperson for the Pentagon, Jacob Bliss, said Tuesday that “the X post speaks for itself.”
British Columbia Premier David Eby had responded to the post earlier in the day, calling Hegseth’s post “an embarrassment” and saying that he was looking at the remarks in the context of the U.S.’s war in Iran, calling it “a war that was supposed to be over in a few days.”
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“To think that in that context the elected leadership of the military has decided to attack cadets who have volunteered to serve their country selflessly as part of a military that has been an ally to the United States for generations, it tells you everything you need to know about the amateur hour.”
Hegseth was the third member of Trump’s cabinet to disparage the Canadian Armed Forces since trade talks between the two nations collapsed in late August.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy suggested in a recent television interview that Canada did not have a military, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent scoffed at the suggestion that Canada and the U.S. were at war in an interview with CNBC on Monday.
“We’re not at war with Canada. How are we going to be at war with Canada,” Bessent said.
“What, are they going to take their two submarines from the (West) Edmonton Mall and sic them on us?”
“I think Canadian can understand the difference between the performative nature of an administration in the United States and understand the importance of the military-to-military cooperation, which continues,” McGuinty told reporters.
McGuinty was speaking at the opening of the Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defence conference, an annual meeting of military leaders. Canada is co-hosting this years summit, along with the U.S., in Victoria, British Columbia.
The Carney government’s Defence Industrial Strategy explicitly sets out that while Canada enjoys a “defence relationship” with the U.S., Ottawa will look to build new relationships to “ensure greater resiliency in uncertain times.”
The prime minister put a finer point on it earlier this year.
“The days of our military sending 70 cents of every dollar to the United States are over,” Carney told the Liberal Party convention in April 2026.
The industrial strategy references the desire for stronger partnership with the European Union and the United Kingdom, as well as Indo-Pacific nations including Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.
Trade talks between Canada and the U.S. collapsed in late August, with Canada vowing to a “dollar for dollar” response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs on some Canadian goods. In Ottawa on Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney suggested the Trump administration was aiming at eroding Canadian industry through their proposed deal.
Asked if the ongoing trade tensions could lead Canada to refuse to purchase U.S.-made F-35 fighter aircraft, McGuinty said the deal remains “under review.”
“It will remain under review until it’s no longer under review,” McGuinty said.
These people remind me of children showing off in front of the grown ups
Wow. A lot of uninformed comments here. Maybe if you don’t know what you are talking about…just like Hegseth…maybe do some research before typing out nonsense that makes you look stupid.
The Cadet program in Canada is NOT defence oriented. While it operates under the DND umbrella, it is a youth development and leadership program. FULL STOP.
While there are some military stylings in wearing uniforms, dress/deportment/discipline, parade square drills and marching, fieldcraft (e.g. camping, wilderness survival), and marksmanship using air rifles, the youth in the program would never be pressed into military service as that would violate the anti-child soldier treaties and laws to which civilized nations like Canada adhere.
Warfighting skills and knowledge ARE NOT taught or practiced.
While the adult officers in the organization are commissioned officers in the CF Reserves, their training and roles are limited and tailored to providing the leadership and guidance of youth in the Cadet Program.
Some cadets do end up enrolling in the CF Regular or Reserve Forces. Just like any other recruit, they start off in basic training before moving to their trades training. Their advantage is they would start with an ability to march, shine their parade boots, a familiarity with military and self-discipline as well as confidence and some developed leadership potential.
Many other former cadets use the discipline, leadership knowledge and confidence taught in the program and apply it in successful civilian careers.
Hegseth looks as foolish as someone who would post the picture of an American chief scout and try to compare that person with the potential combat performance of a US Marine.
He knows better, he should do better.
Then he went home and told mommy how brave he’d been….
Canada was late fighting in the Pacific and didn’t join until after USA. Canada offered little to no value with the fight against Japan.
The USA was late getting to WW2. My Grandpa was there overseas in 1938 Lest we forgot.
Wow America wad late getting to WW2 Canadians were the from the get go. 1938 I know because my Granpa fought overseas. Lest we forget
This is literally cyberbullying of minors by the US’s Secretary of Defense. We have laws for that in Canada. He needs to be charged.
Useless country. The senate has no power. Congress has no power. Military has no power, can’t even beat Iran. What would you expect from perverts. Attacks everyone in the world with tarrifs and then whine when those countries apply their own tarrifs. Who’s the whiner? Trump and his supporters are everything they accuse others of being. Pathetic.
I think Hegseth is doing a great job and Canada is a laughing stock as they don’t participate in any meaningful way for World Security.
Just a reminder to the yankee doodles that huff the same fumes as hegseth, the Geneva convention is a checklist of past actions Canadians took against their enemies.
Canucks are such cry babies. They have let so many refugees that they’ve lost the identity. The white Canadians cannot distinguish between a refugee and an immigrant. They go to fight with hockey sticks. They are loud mouthed and think they are special breed. And their women like to hang out with dark colored men.
I saw the photo of two Canadian cadets that Hegseth criticized. The first problem he had with them, they weren’t white men. Then, they weren’t MACHO looking white men.
Hegseth is a weirdo. Of course none of Trump’s staff are not weirdos. I’m a wannottobe American.
Toronto is the refugee capital of the world. It is also full of commie filth.
Their police is dangerously corrupt.
It also has the worst healthcare system.
And their sports teams suck big time..
Their landmarks get renamed after some vague african or chinese names.
Need I say more…?
Hegseth’s post contains the true (non fake) picture and a phrase “this is real!”, which I presume is a true statement. Why would anyone be insulted by it?
Was he wrong? Check out the picture
For all the american politicians….here in Canada, we have lots of free daycare…
@Edward Touche, but one of those girls obviously volunteered for the all-you-can-eat buffet.
Mockery aside, Hegseth has correctly pointed out that the military is always meant for national defense. It’s not intended to be used as another liberal social experiment for DEI and doing so not only wastes tax dollars but also puts the national security at risk.
I don’t care how long it is under review, as I understand that may well be strategic. But at the end of the day we must tell the u.s that we are purchasing 0 F35’s and since they do not honor their agreements we are NOT agreeing to pay for the 18 we committed to. Then buy 88 Gripens.
Hey Hesdeath,at least those two girls volunteered to be cadets and serve their country. Show us the Vietnam service records of President Carrot and President Joe Veggetable.
Hey Alex you can delete whatever you like but we know the truth hurts
When the Secretary of Defense of the nation with the most nuclear warheads mocks, bullies, and basically attacks Canadian children who joined a youth cadet program with the stated mission of developing good citizenship, youth leadership, and improving physical fitness, you know that the world has become a much more dangerous place. Canadians need to stand up for their freedom, because the only freedom coming from south of the border is the fight to have the freedom for the few to expand their already vast wealth at the expense of the freedoms or even lives of others. Our neighbors to the south are fast becoming a tyrannical state and their own people are getting acclimatized to it by degrees- slowing losing their personal rights and freedoms because they are gaslit into thinking they are sacrificing for some greater good.
Cry baby Canadians. I guess they forgot about that Liberals bad mouthed and continue to badmouth Trump and MAGA. Total hypocrites obviously.
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The US seems to think that once a new trade deal is reached that everything they’ve said about Canada, the digs, the snide comments, the jokes, the disrespect will all be forgotten. IT WONT, and our feelings will remain the same for decades. The relationship is destroyed and tarnished.
Where is this photo? Considering that Canaduh doesn’t know what a woman is it probably was chicks with dicks and beards in rainbow attire.
Why would Canada buy anything from the US, Since trump has broken many agreements why should we keep are agreements?
Ignore them. Responding to taunts from the low-brow Trump administration sinply gives them oxygen.
@Anonymous. I have great healthcare in the USA as I have great insurance with my employers. Your healthcare isn’t “free”, don’t you pay taxes and heard it is universallly bad for everyone. lol
We don’t need their stinkin’ F35’s !
Yee ole cocksbreath up to no good.
Steve at Wisconsin: how many wars has your big country won in the last 50 years? Come try and attack Canada…. We have woods and guerilla fighters like Al Qaeda you were so good at defeating. Go drink some Red 40 and cyclospora lettuce and think about what you’ve done.
Steve at Wisconsin: you’d have free healthcare if the military industrial complex wasn’t draining your tax dollars.
Steve in Wisconsin has no life so he’s here trolling Canadians. Sad!
Hegseth and dignity don’t even belong in the same article. The war crimes Sec. of Defense has NO dignity!
What a shthole country the US is. And Hegseth is a fake man.
Hegseth and his boss the Comrade/Dictator have NO DIGNITY!!!!!!!!
According to a report from Maggie Haberman of the NY Times, Trump picked Hegseth because Trump thought Hegseth looked good on TV. I’m sure the men and women of the US military are pleased to know the man who has their lives in his hands was chosen for such a weighty and strategic reason.
Seems like someone is drunk posting again!
Disparaging woman in the Canadian Military only proves that Hegseth has no idea about the strength and resilience of Canadian Woman.
Here in Canada we know that strong men are bred from even stronger woman.
We are not shaking in our boots letting men decide our fate we are Canada strong and free.
Canada is thinned skinned and isn’t a serious player in the world as their military has no capability to do anything. I guess the truth hurts Elbows Up Canadians
Usa is living under a dictatorship. The invaded a country. Starving another trying to take over two more countries and trying to fix the election. Killed cancer research. You cant afford gas. Cant afford food. And has turned you all against each other. He is friends with dictators an has treated his allies as enemies. Plus being a convicted 34 count felon. Also six bankruptcies. People. Wake up.
Embarrassing for the us.
Come on Pete, let’s look at the advantages:
1) The Canadian soldier would stop a lot of bullets
2) They could roll the Canadian soldier down a hill and crush the enemy
3) The Canadian soldier would make a great tank barrier
Note, I said nothing about the Canadian soldier being a woman…
oIo again
I’d like to see Hegseth against one of our Canadian women……Battle Royal
@Ca What language… I can’t believe you swallow loads with that mouth.
Oh well open up, here cums another
The paid Conservative bots are in full swing trying to defend chicken chest Petey.
Maybe Eby Ford or Canada in general should do something about it.
The world is playing hide-behind-Canada while Trump plays attack Canada.
Canada has no real friends.
Clownadians with their moronic whining as usual. Can we skip to the part where its Elbows Up, Knees Down and Mouth Open?
No wonder the americans are despised…
The liberals will focus their attention on LITERALLY ANYTHING other than the issues that are harming our country. Just one smokescreen after another…….
Cheap by the reigning alcoholic. Ignorance/Stupidity being their chief export. Ever wonder why yanks are the most despised on Planet Eartg?
“Fart on the Deal” Carney wanted a war, he got his war.
So Elbows Up and suck it up, buttercups.
Carney for President.
Guess Hegsh_t didn’t see the reflecting pool ‘orange man’ tag that appeared on Google maps earlier today, lol! What a loser!
Everything this administration does is “beneath the office”. MAGAts are not normal people.
I guess small minds are just that. Ignorance being the chief export from the USA.
Holy there are some slow ones in here
these 2 Canadian ladies are not getting their ass whooped by Iranians pete
This coming from a depraved drunk!
How does it surprise anyone to how low the Trump administration can go. They will say and do anything to distract everyone from all the crooked things they have done or going to do.
Maybe if their person at the head of the US government had served any role in the military like so many Canadian youth have, there just might be some respect, but no ,only childish remarks and actions.
@Anonymous I own you, I’m in your head. I love it.
The only thing your lifting is a fleshy shake weight to your oprn mouth.
Give chicken chest Petey a kiss for me.
Bahahaha. I won again.
Hegseth and the Pentagon support is as stupid as it is ignorant. Who or what do you think you are!
It’s bad enough dealing with our own inept federal government. Now we have to deal with a child troll running the U.S. berating us?
Yeah whatever Hegseth. May your death be slow and painful. May cancer eat your insides.
All these fake Christian social conservatives who haven’t served talking shiz about the military is hilarious..
Anything to distract from all the misery and failures of his policies. The Fart Of The Deal. The world smells it.
You see, here in Canada, hurty words cause actual physical harm, hence why Canada thinks we are at war while America drops hilarious troll bombs on us. Shots fired! Not literal ones geez lol Grow a set Canada, you have lost your balls and your sense of humour. And also truth hurts, but not physically lol
Consider the source, eh !
Maybe pistol Pete is a closet gay leader since he doesn’t like women in the military, just wants to be around men.
Hegseth only posted pics of mildly obese cadets.
Imagine Elbows Up shock, awe and knickers knots, if he had posted pics of the morbidly obese, blue haired, nose ringed, face tatted carnival sideshow refugees that make up the regular force now.
The MAGA must be executed once sane people regain control of the US.
Only thieves and perverts would back trump which explains all the people he put into the different positions of his so called government. Look at this perv looking at young girls.
Bring it pete! Making fun of cadets at a summer camp? They’re teens and volunteers with infinitely more heart and dignity than you could ever wish to have.
BTW don’t you have a forever war to to lose?
Pigseth is a pig as are the Americans who voted for Trump and the mini magats.
America is the real joke. Name any non psychotic country that has a leader that does whatever they want and there’s nothing anybody can do about it. Your system is absolute garbage
Yes, the comment speaks for itself. Perhaps his next comment will be by Signal discussing battle plans for Iran.
In other words, empty blather.
stop playing games with the US, you stole their toys and they are throwing temper tantrums
i would like clarification on what Pres Trump means when he says make America Better, America is not owned by the US, what does he mean?
You “unfair” weaklings need to be wiped out.
All trumps administration is trying to do is undermine Canada and try to make others beleive that canada is a joke. While the entire planet except magats know that it is trump and his administration who are the fools and Canada is winning.
What is the secretary of defense looking at young girls website for. Just wondering
Take out pervert Pete. This is the Trump goon that wanted to supply steroids to teenage boys. He is a sex offender with no competency.
Loosers. Iran beat your ass leave Canada alone. You are going broke China beating you
This coming from a Fox News host on weekends. Really that’s what the U.S. has in charge. I see the US is winning the war with Iran. He’s a f###king joke. Grow the f##k up already.
@S A at 237 pm. My feeling is that the USA has changed permanently. Waiting out this administration is a great idea, but do you think a Democratic president will reverse tariffs? By the time of the next president, entrenched domestic interests may prevent changes to tariffs.
Git yet canoes and slingshots ready Canucks
Is it surprising the super brave right wingers here post as anonymous? Afraid of being held accountable, children?
Can we just declare their administration persona non grata already? They’ll retaliate of course, but all we have to do is wait out their administration til the next one. There is no good reason anymore to try and do business with misogynistic and depraved bigots. Regardless of trade.
@Roy Depape at 219pm. Calling our military a token army? Our military is better trained than the US. Your comment is very disrespectful, especially given the sacrifice of 159 members in Afghanistan.
Proud Cdn / pro USA my whole life. Travel the states a ton but never again. Have made so many American friends who all hate Trump and his administration. Trump supporters wake up before it’s too late. The majority of the world no longer has respect for the USA simply because of Trump..SAD
Heseth is such a low life!
lol just remember where it’s coming from a drunk loser😂😂😂😂
Yeah if you could stop jumping all over American comments that would be good. They must love you Canadians. You overreact to everything! So easy to bait and have a laugh at
A rising MAGA tide raises all ships in the harbour, except the klepto-socialist ones who’s crew bored holes in the bottom to spite Trump.
You do need to wonder why a grow man in a position of power in the military feels the need to demean 2 young women (girls) in a public forum. Young women who in their country
Have chosen to step up to serve. I’m no sure how this type of comment enhances Mr Hegseth or the American military. It does show them, him to be petty and childish a sad commentary on the united states military honour
It’s a big waste of time to disparage our armed forces. It is fairly obvious to anyone that our military is basically a token army, it exists because it should but in an actual conflict it would fold almost immediately. Why mock something that has been a joke for decades?
MAGA! Because without a sane and prosperous America, there is no Free World.
Coming from an alcoholic
Imagine being a little girl and reading Anon’s comment. People are so cruel.
Annoying PP
September 1, 2026 at 1:37 pm
Both these chick’s could out lift Hegseth. Did you see the video of him trying to train with the Marines. His little chicken wings just a flapping, a lot like his gums.
Bahahaha. He’s a joke
You’re a joke! Pete was benching 315 with ease.
@Anon at 137 pm. Your views are embarrassing.
@anon at 137 pm. My genuine hope is that by the time my children grow up, opinions like yours which are prehistoric and backwards will have died out. The world is moving forward and you should try to keep up.
What a lowlife, picking on kids that are contributing to society.
Why are we not being shown the picture in question?
Because it’s embarrassing. One woman must weigh over 250 pounds and the other, well… I couldn’t tell whether it was male or female.
Both these chick’s could out lift Hegseth. Did you see the video of him trying to train with the Marines. His little chicken wings just a flapping, a lot like his gums.
Bahahaha. He’s a joke
Liberals losing their minds over the dumbest things will never not be amusing.
Some republican could post a photo of a rock, and they would probably get some death threats. Liberals are all unhinged and erratic. Scary times..
Petey trying to compensate for his tiny pecker.
Real Canadians are embarrassed, liberals think its normal.
Hegseth it’s just another POS that the world doesn’t care about
These maggots are so predictable and immature. They’re way worse than any child I’ve ever met. Grow up.