Donald Trump's defence secretary Pete Hegseth is facing condemnation after he used a D-Day commemoration to attack Nato countries and accuse them of failing to tackle illegal immigration.
According to The Independent, speaking in Normandy during a ceremony to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the Allied landings, which saw US and Allied forces liberate Western Europe from Nazi occupation, Hegseth claimed Europe currently faces an "invasion of dangerous ideologies" arriving by sea.
Former UK defence secretary Ben Wallace told the outlet that Mr Hegseth and US vice president JD Vance “would do well to not believe everything they read on X and to read the inspiring D-Day speech by Ronald Reagan on the 40th Anniversary.”
At the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Hegseth said, "Sadly, today, different European beaches are stormed by different, dangerous ideologies. Beaches in Spain, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria, boats and men arrive."
He challenged European leaders asking, "When will European capitals do something about that invasion or is it too late? I pray not, and I believe not."
His comments echo those of President Trump and Vance, who have consistently attacked European countries for their approach to immigration.
A US National Security Strategy document issued last year even warned that Europe faced "civilisational erasure" and must "course-correct" to remain a reliable ally to the US.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time the Trump adminstration has been accused of outrageous attacks on Nato allies.
