Hegseth lectures European allies on immigration ‘invasion’ during D-Day anniversary speech in France
The US Defense Secretary criticized Europe for allowing an ‘invasion’ of migrants in his D-Day anniversary speech.
Pete Hegseth attended the 82nd anniversary of the liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe by Allied forces in France in the Second World War yesterday – but took time to touch on immigration in his speech commemorating the soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy.
‘Unfortunately today different European shores are being invaded by different dangerous ideologies,’ Hegseth told a thoughtful crowd of veterans and current military leaders.
He said: ‘Beaches in Spain, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria. Boats and men are coming. ‘When will European capitals do something against this invasion?’
The former officer added that Europe had become too ‘comfortable’ with tough freedoms, emphasizing that ‘freedom must be maintained by this generation of leaders and war fighters, otherwise what they are fighting for is only temporary’.
Strict immigration control remains one of the top priorities of the Trump administration’s domestic policy agenda, which has deported hundreds of thousands of people since the president took office.
Republicans on Friday managed to secure $70 billion more in funding to address Trump’s crackdown on immigrants after Senators passed a controversial bill.
Hegseth’s comments come just days after the Trump administration was criticized for ‘trying to interfere with our democracy’ following criticism of the murder of Henry Nowak.
US Defense Secretary criticizes Europe for allowing ‘invasion’ of migrants in D-Day anniversary speech
The 18-year-old was stabbed to death in Southampton by 23-year-old Sikh Vickrum Digwa, who was carrying a ceremonial knife. Digwa lied to the police about being the victim of a racist attack and acted in self-defence.
Police later arrested Mr. Nowak, ignoring his pleas that he needed help and that he could not breathe due to his stab wounds.
Recently released body camera footage has sparked widespread outrage, with many protesters taking to the streets to condemn the ‘two-tier’ policing system.
Vice President JD Vance used similar rhetoric to Hegseth, blaming ‘European elites’ for the ‘immigrant invasion’, which he blamed for the murder of British teenager Henry Nowak.
Vance wrote in Friday
“He should still be alive today, and he would be alive if the last few generations of European elites had stood up to the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of immigrants, many of whom despised the West and the people who loved it.”
Vance wrote that the only response to such an event was “righteous anger” and added that no one “should die the way Henry Nowak died.”
A spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said shortly after Vance’s post: ‘In recent days we have seen people trying to interfere with our democracy and foment division on our streets.
‘The Nowak family is in mourning after Henry’s horrific murder. They said they did not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We must respect their wishes.’
The Trump administration also said: ‘Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of the decline of civilization. They must be rejected throughout the West.
‘The United States extends our condolences to the family of Henry Nowak and the people of the United Kingdom at this troubling time.’
Starmer has repeatedly condemned anyone who has spoken out about the tragedy, including UK MPs and even Elon Musk.
