US Defense Secretary Hegseth excluded from Normandy ceremony over political concerns
Hegseth delivers separate address at American cemetery, urging European defence spending and describing migration as an 'invasion'
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Normandy on 7 June 2026 to mark the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day landings, but did not attend the main international ceremony in Langrune-sur-Mer. The omission followed public statements from local residents who declared the US official unwelcome due to his political rhetoric.
Sylvie Lamy Thepaut, a member of the municipal association Langrune en commun, told BFM TV that Hegseth possessed "warlike views" and did not share the democratic values associated with the Allied liberation. The association published a statement on its website calling for the cancellation of his visit, arguing that hosting him contradicted the principles of democracy, human rights, and peace.
The statement cited Hegseth’s "anti-European remarks", "warlike statements", and "American supremacist pronouncements" as grounds for exclusion. It argued that the honour of Langrune-sur-Mer and the memory of Allied soldiers who died on the beaches dictated that his visit be cancelled.
Hegseth instead delivered a speech at the American military cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. In this address, he urged European nations to increase their defence spending and described migrant arrivals on European coasts as an "invasion" that required a counter-response.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and UK Defence Minister John Healey attended the Langrune ceremony to honour Allied veterans. Lecornu paid tribute to the young men who died on D-Day and emphasised the need for European autonomy to defend itself against intensifying threats.
Langrune-sur-Mer Mayor Franck Jouy declined to comment on the controversy surrounding Hegseth’s absence. He stated that the event was a memorial and should not be politicised, noting that the focus remained on remembering those who came to ensure France’s liberation.
The D-Day landings on 6 June 1944 were the largest amphibious operation in history, involving 6,939 ships and over 132,000 Allied troops. The operation contributed decisively to the defeat of Nazi Germany, with forces from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other nations storming the beaches of northern France.
