Sabrina Carpenter, Franklin the Turtle in tiff with Trump administration
A young turtle from a Canadian children’s book series has become embroiled in an international row after the US Department of Defense used the character in a cartoon about the killing of alleged drug traffickers.
The publisher of the “Franklin the Turtle” books is criticizing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for a social media post showing the beloved children’s character shooting alleged criminals.
“We strongly condemn any derogatory, violent or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image,” publisher Kids Can Press said.
The publisher is not alone. Sabrina Carpenter lashed out at the White House for using her song in a video about deporting immigrants on Tuesday, saying the song was “evil and disgusting.”
“Never include me or my music to benefit your inhumane agenda,” the singer said.
In the Franklin case, the cartoon Hegseth shared on social media was a fake book cover showing Franklin shooting a large gun at drug boats in a military helicopter. The fake headline reads: “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.”
The footage comes amid a series of US attacks on alleged Venezuelan drug ships since early September. The Trump administration says it acted in self-defense by attacking boats carrying illegal drugs into the United States.
Hegseth captioned the post: “For your Christmas wish list…”
Franklin, a 6-year-old cartoon turtle, is known for overcoming everyday challenges, from learning to ride a bike to his first sleepover.
He appeared as the title character in the Canadian children’s book “Franklin the Turtle” and has appeared in a number of television shows, films, video games and live productions.
“Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and represents kindness, empathy and inclusivity,” publisher Kids Can Press said in a statement, adding that such a violent depiction “directly contradicts these values.”
“We doubt that Franklin the Turtle wants to cover drug cartels … or praise the kindness and empathy of narco-terrorists,” Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in a statement Monday night.
The artists who are said to have created Franklin and written his books did not respond to the BBC’s requests for comment.
In September, Pokémon said it did not allow its theme song and other images to be used in an ICE deportation raid video released by the US government.
British singer Jess Glynne also criticized White House officials in July for their use of a viral Jet2holiday ad that featured her song in a video promoting the deportations.
