From The Hill: In the second Trump administration post of its kind, the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday portrayed Franklin, the anthropomorphic turtle character from a children’s book series, as a “deportation judge.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a similar image with Franklin late last month.
“Franklin is helping write the next chapter of America. You can too! We’re looking for patriotic legal professionals to serve as Deportation Judges. Your work will have generational consequences. Apply today!” the DOJ said in a post on the social platform X.
The post featured an image that appears similar to other covers in the “Franklin the Turtle” book series, with the title reading “Franklin Becomes a Deportation Judge” and the main character depicted in a white wig, judge’s robe and holding a gavel.
Franklin is helping write the next chapter of America. You can too!
We’re looking for patriotic legal professionals to serve as Deportation Judges. Your work will have generational consequences.
Apply today!https://t.co/hLJZoubvzB pic.twitter.com/IuYLfLfYEU
— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) December 11, 2025
On November 30, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth posted an image of a book cover showing Franklin blowing up drug boats, and wrote, “For your Christmas wish list…”
For your Christmas wish list… pic.twitter.com/pLXzg20SaL
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) December 1, 2025
On December 5, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent joined in, also posting a Franklin book image.
https://t.co/BAMcNiMPr0 pic.twitter.com/etHI3XWN9R
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) December 5, 2025
The Franklin posts have sent liberals into a tailspin, but conservatives are embracing them. The comments on social media underneath the original posts are now filled with many other Franklin images, as other people have generated their own using AI.
One image is of a Franklin book cover titled, “Franklin Helps Seize Venezuelan Tanker.”
Another is titled, “Franklin Grows Tired of Immigrants and Their Behavior.”
Yet another is titled, “Franklin and Pete Hegseth Laugh at Communists.”
Kids Can Press, the publisher of the Franklin children’s book series, released a statement after Hegseth’s original post, condemning the use of Franklin’s likeness.
“Franklin the Turtle is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of children and stands for kindness, empathy, and inclusivity. We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values,” the publisher declared.
— kidscanpress (@KidsCanPress) December 1, 2025
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