U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth marked the 82nd anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings with a speech at a US military cemetery in Normandy. During his address, Hegseth bemoaned the invasion of boats and men on Europe's beaches.
Hegseth used the occasion to link immigration by sea to the wartime liberation of Europe. He warned that Europe currently faces an invasion of dangerous ideologies arriving by sea, asserting that the freedom won by Allied troops could prove temporary if leaders fail to defend it.
Additionally, Hegseth called on allies to contribute more for their own defense. These remarks align with criticisms from other US officials, including Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who have recently criticized European countries for failing to control immigration.