US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth appeared to take a weight-related jab at a uniformed woman pictured in a Canadian cadet. (Photo: ANI)
It comprises approximately 7,800 commissioned officers whose primary responsibility is the safety, supervision, administration and training of more than 52,000 cadets, according to Canada’s Department of National Defence. The Trump administration has accused Canadian policies of discriminating against US businesses, including in sectors such as motor vehicles and dairy, and imposed the duties under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930.
“It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon,” Hegseth said while laying out stricter fitness and appearance standards. In the same speech, he also complained about seeing “fat troops” in military formations. Prime Minister Mark Carney said last-minute changes to the US proposal were “unfair, uneconomic” and called into question the reliability of any agreement. He said Ottawa would not accept terms that undermined Canadian interests and sovereignty.
Canada’s Cadet Instructors Cadre is part of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve. The Pentagon subsequently issued new guidance on physical fitness and grooming standards. Hegseth’s post about the Canadian cadet programme also comes at a particularly sensitive moment in relations between Washington and Ottawa, with the two neighbours locked in an escalating trade dispute and tensions rising over Canadian sovereignty. Canada disputes Washington’s case.
The rhetoric took another turn on August 27, when Trump signed an executive order directing the US government to rename Lake Ontario “Lake America”. Among the sticking points were automobiles and broader questions over Canada’s ability to make independent decisions on trade and domestic policy.