George Clooney Slams 'Cruel' Pete Hegseth for Fat-Shaming Canadian Military: 'I'm Ashamed'

George Clooney called out Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after he mocked the appearance of a young Canadian military cadet online.

The actor didn't hold back when asked about the political climate in the U.S. at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday, September 2.

Hegseth previously shared a photo of two women at the Cadet Training Centre in Vernon, Canada, alongside a Canadian flag.

He captioned the image, "this is real," in what critics viewed as a mocking comment about one of the cadets' appearances.

"The idea that cruelty is the base, that being cruel and unkind is part of the fun of all of this," he said, per The Daily Beast. "You see what the Secretary of Defense just tweeted out — a picture about women from the military in Canada — and you're going, 'What's wrong with you?'"

"Where's the sense of decency in all of this? And I'm ashamed of all of that," the Oscar winner added.

The post quickly sparked backlash, including from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said the message was "beneath" the office of the Pentagon.

Carney also addressed the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Canada, saying, "When the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, stop trying to be tough and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions."

Another person commented about the post, "Wow. The Secretary of Defense is body shaming cadet groups. A youth group. This is not a military unit. They are kids looking for adventure, test themselves and align themselves with the values of service."

Someone else said, "Hegseth... is rage-posting about Canadian teenagers in a cadet program. Unserious, unhinged, and embarrassing."

Clooney, who has been a vocal Donald Trump critic, was also asked about the broader political climate in the United States.

"We're in a moment of time that's unfortunate," he confessed.

He then used a pointed term to describe the current state of American government.

"There's a great word: kakistocracy, which is a country run by the least qualified people," Clooney said. "I think maybe we have a kakistocracy right now, but we'll get through it."

The actor remains hopeful that change in the U.S. will come soon.

"We will have an election in November that should be a check and balance, and then in 2028, with any luck, we'll have some restoration into some normalcy," he shared.