Topline
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth compared the 1944 Normandy landings to immigration in Europe, saying at a D-Day anniversary speech in France on Saturday that the continent was being “stormed by different dangerous ideologies.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gestures as he speaks during a ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery.
Photo by Kiran Ridley/Getty Images
Key Facts
Hegseth said the legacy of those who fought at Normandy “demands far more than quiet reflection, it requires our active vigilance.”
“Sadly, today different European beaches are stormed by different dangerous ideologies,” Hegseth added.
The defense secretary named Spain, Italy, Greece and Bulgaria as places where “boats and men” were coming ashore.
“When will European capitals do something about that invasion, or is it too late? I pray not, and I believe not,” Hegseth said.
Crucial Quote
“In the years since these beaches, much of the West in some places, in some quarters and in some capitals, grew comfortable.” Hegseth said. “We forgot that freedom is not free. We forgot that peace is not wished into being, it is bought with purpose, with honor and with strength.”
Tangent
The Trump administration has framed Europe’s immigration policies as a threat to Western society, with President Donald Trump himself telling European leaders last year their “countries are going to hell.” Vice President JD Vance has followed Trump’s suit, recently blaming the December stabbing of British university student Henry Nowak on “the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it.” Vickrum Digwa, the man who stabbed Nowak, was sentenced to life in prison. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said Nowak’s family “said they do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We should be respecting their wishes.”
Key Background
Hegseth’s remarks come days after the European Union advanced significant changes to its immigration policies that seek to increase deportations and build detention centers outside the European Union known as “return hubs,” according to the Associated Press. Dutch lawmaker Malik Azmani said there was an “urgent need” for the new immigration policies, claiming only 28% of rejected asylum seekers return home, with most remaining in the European Union, the AP reported.
Further Reading
EU strikes migration deal for more deportations and detention centers abroad (Associated Press)