Overview
- On Dec. 11, the DOJ posted a fake “Franklin Becomes a Deportation Judge” cover on X to recruit “patriotic legal professionals,” saying the work “will have generational consequences” and that “Franklin is helping write the next chapter of America.”
- Kids Can Press, the Canadian publisher of Franklin, had already condemned denigrating, violent or unauthorized uses of the character, stressing the series’ values of kindness, empathy and inclusivity.
- The DOJ post followed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Nov. 30 image, “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists,” depicting the turtle attacking drug boats, which drew criticism as the administration faced scrutiny over boat strikes.
- Other government accounts and allies have circulated similar Franklin-themed images, including posts from the Education and Health and Human Services departments, and a separate attack by Donald Trump Jr. on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
- The episode fits a broader pattern in which officials used music and art without permission in deportation videos, prompting rebukes from Sabrina Carpenter and SZA, the Norman Rockwell family and Nintendo, and at least one deleted White House post.