Countless barbs and blows have been shared between the United States and Canada during the trade war. From elbows up, to the 51st state, to the renaming of Lake Ontario on American maps. The rhetoric has no limits. But a recent post from the U.S. Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has put our cadets—who are often youth—in the crosshairs. Along with the photo of a Vernon, British Columbia cadet and officer, Hegseth shared a Canadian flag emoji followed by the words “this is real,” in parenthesis. The post is being treated as a cryptic jab against the men and women who serve our country. It caught the attention of the president of the Ontario division of the Navy League of Canada, Pamela Smith McBride. “The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is providing support to those affected,” McBride said in an email sent to cadets across the nation. “The Chief of the Defence Staff has stated that the cadet and CIC officer will be the ones to decide how, or even if, they will respond to the controversial social media post,” McBride added. “Thank you for all you do to support our cadets and the Navy League of Canada during these turbulent times for our country,” McBride said in her email. CTV News has spoken to members of the larger Canadian Armed Forces community for their reaction. More updates to come.
