Pete Hegseth used a D-Day speech to talk about migrants “invading European beaches” – 16 historically furious and funny responses

The anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 6, 1944 is an annual, sombre occasion, prompting us to reflect on ideas of sacrifice and bravery.

So, naturally, the Trump administration sent one of its biggest buffoons to speak on its behalf on this special day.

Pete Hegseth was in Normandy to mark the anniversary of the beach landings and he gave a speech there that has put many people’s backs up and not just in Europe.

During his speech at a ceremony marking the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day invasion, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth compared the D-Day invasion with illegal immigration, stating, "Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies…When… pic.twitter.com/5hUwmf3LgJ

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 7, 2026

He said:

“Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies. Beaches in Spain, in Italy, in Greece and Bulgaria. Boats and men arrive. When will European capitals do something about that invasion?”

Hegseth’s remarks – delivered in the context of the D-Day anniversary – have been condemned as ignorant and disrespectful. Here’s some of the response.

1.

The commemoration of the bravery, tragedy and importance of D-Day is not ever the place to try and score cheap political points. What an ignorant and disrespectful dumbass. https://t.co/Gf8UMPInYL

— Greg Bagwell (@gregbagwell) June 6, 2026

2.

Disgraceful politicization of true heroism.

— Alastair McAlpine, MD (@AlastairMcA30) June 6, 2026

3.

Can’t keep it classy for a single moment

— Eidetic Eye (@eideticeye) June 6, 2026

4.

I honestly wonder who thought it was a good idea, on the anniversary of D-Day, to have a speech in which the Secretary's own ideology is set in metaphorical parallel to the Nazis opposing the beaches being stormed on D-Day. https://t.co/qwUKwelkKx

— "Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux (@BretDevereaux) June 6, 2026

5.

Hegseth used a D-Day podium to warn that arriving by boat is dangerous. Of the 73,000 Americans who stormed Normandy that morning, many were children of immigrants who arrived the same way.

— Impeach 47 (@Impeach_47) June 7, 2026

6.

He should stick to weekend proselytising on Fox & Friends (sobriety optional) and quit his day job. As SecDef, he has the strategic depth of a 14-year-old playing Call of Duty. If I hear “maximum lethality” one more time, my eyes are going to roll out of my head.

— Dr. Alice Frost (@PoliSciChick84) June 7, 2026

7.

If you’ve been to the American Military Cemetery in Normandy, and you’ve looked out over those rows of crosses and stars of David, you’ll know how odious this man is. Those men didn’t die for this ideology or assholes like Pete Hegseth. https://t.co/W5OYeBPZ18

— Reed Galen (@reedgalen) June 6, 2026

8.

Pete Hegseth thinks the good guys were defending beaches at Normandy https://t.co/ctu9mrzqti

— Cameron 🇺🇸 🗽🦅 (@CameronCorduroy) June 6, 2026

9.

Why did he construct an analogy in which he is on the side of the Nazis? https://t.co/fkZHQtf0Hx

— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) June 7, 2026

10.

>watching the wh*te trash admin embarrass our country at every possible occasion https://t.co/UlaWwsqtIH pic.twitter.com/1QsJfnYlPt

— Bishop 🏴‍☠️ 🇺🇦 (@KBP9a91) June 6, 2026

11.

A form of desacration. https://t.co/Y0nNC5aRvF

— Bruno Tertrais (@BrunoTertrais) June 6, 2026

12.

Ten years ago, this was straight up far right Nazi shit. Comparing migrants and refugees to Nazi invaders and inciting violence against them.

Now it’s the US Defense Secretary saying it quite casually.
Dark times. https://t.co/QGYzpMIqJR

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) June 6, 2026

13.

If @PeteHegseth were in charge of D-Day, every Allied soldier would have drowned on the way to the beach, and Trump would have secretly alerted Hitler it was coming.

— Anonymous (@YourAnonCentral) June 6, 2026

14.

This may well be the last time Europe extends an invitation to clowns to mark D-Day. Not a single person in the Trump administration comes close to having the character those landings demanded. The Americans who stormed those beaches on June 6, 1944 were fighting against exactly… https://t.co/wauN3bg0hP

— Gandalv (@Microinteracti1) June 6, 2026

15.

A drunk fox news host is in Europe lecturing leaders about immigration.

— Covie (@covie_93) June 6, 2026

16.

So wait a second, who are the Allies in this analogy? https://t.co/zcNnt6FIg0

— John Ganz (@lionel_trolling) June 6, 2026