Hegseth’s Shade Sparks Trade Tensions | US News

US News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Sep 5, 2026 · 1m

War Secretary Pete Hegseth sparked a diplomatic firestorm after tossing a Canadian flag emoji at the Canadian Coast Guard’s Pride celebration post — fueling tensions amid ongoing US-Canada trade friction. This isn’t his first rodeo: he’s also been accused of mocking Canadian female cadets. As President Trump amps up nationalist rhetoric — renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America” and bragging about US economic dominance — Canadian PM Mark Carney urges the U.S. to tone down the social media jabs, calling them unproductive. Meanwhile, conflicting narratives swirl around stalled trade talks, with…