A “joke” by the US Secretary of War about language raises a wave of ridicule and criticism

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was subjected to a wide wave of criticism and ridicule on the Internet this week, after he made a joke in which he said that he could only speak the “American” language, during a speech he delivered to leaders from Latin American countries during an event held at President Donald Trump’s golf club.

Hegseth’s comment came after a series of jokes made by Trump during his hosting of the “Shield of the Americas” summit, where the president joked that he was not interested in learning any other language. He explained that the goal of this summit is to strengthen joint military coordination between the United States and Latin American countries in order to confront organized crime “cartels,” noting that this effort represents what he described as “the Alliance of the Americas to combat drug cartels.”

During his speech to the audience, Trump referred to his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, saying that he loves visiting Latin American countries, before admitting that Rubio is superior to him in terms of language, due to his mastery of the Spanish language.

Trump added, amid laughter from the audience, saying: “I did not learn your damned language, as I do not have time for that.” I was good at learning languages, but I won’t waste my time learning your language. “This is something I will not do.” Then he continued his speech, pointing out the importance of having a good translator, saying: “Give me a good translator.”

When it was Rubio’s turn to deliver his speech, he asked Trump for permission to speak in Spanish, and the president agreed. After the minister finished his speech, Trump returned to the podium and jokingly told the audience: “Do you think he is more fluent in Spanish than English?” “I think he speaks Spanish better than English.”

misunderstanding

Hegseth then ascended to the podium and began his speech by addressing Trump, saying: “Mr. President, I only speak American,” which sparked some laughter among the audience, but the audience’s reaction was less intense compared to the laughter that accompanied Trump’s previous comments.

But this joke did not go unnoticed on social media, as Hegseth faced a large wave of criticism and ridicule, especially on the “X” platform, where many considered that his use of the term “American language” instead of English reflects a wrong understanding of the nature of the language in the United States.

Although the Spanish language is the second most widely spoken language in the United States, Trump, Hegseth, and a number of the president’s supporters have a record of promoting the idea of ​​limiting American identity to English only, and insinuating that being an “American” necessarily means speaking English, as if this language was restricted to Americans alone.

Acute attack

Last year, Trump signed an executive order stipulating that English be adopted as the official language of the United States, but many experts considered this step largely symbolic and did not have much practical impact.

Trump was also among a number of conservative politicians who expressed their anger when it was announced that Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny, who speaks Spanish, had been chosen to perform at the halftime show of the 2026 Super Bowl, the most famous sporting event in American football.

Hegseth publicly celebrated when Turning Point USA announced the launch of a right-leaning counter-program, which was broadcast in conjunction with Bunny’s performance during the concert.

Immediately after the halftime show ended, Trump launched a sharp attack on his platform, “Truth Social,” where he described Bad Bunny’s performance as “an insult to the greatness of America.” He added in a statement that sparked widespread ridicule: “No one understands a word of what this man says.”

Hostile attitudes

In this context, Jorge Coronado, professor of Latin American literature and director of the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program at Northwestern University, said that the recent statements made by Trump and Hegseth during the “Shield of the Americas” summit were not surprising to him.

Speaking to the American website Huff Post, Coronado explained that the Trump administration, even according to the usual political standards in the United States, was remarkably frank in expressing anti-foreign positions, in addition to its support for white nationalist ideas.

He added that Trump’s opposition to multilingualism, and his preference for the idea of ​​one language, has ancient legislative and cultural roots in American history. Coronado also believes that Hegseth’s idea that the United States only speaks English represents an inaccurate perception of reality, and falls within the framework of what he described as the broader attack launched by the Trump administration on institutions of higher education.

“Ignorance, or rather the call to ignorance, can be comforting and powerful for those who feel fear,” Coronado said. Unfortunately, such speeches are capable of attracting the support of a large segment of voters in the United States. About “Huff Post”

. Many considered Hegseth’s use of the term “American language” instead of “English” to reflect a wrong understanding of the nature of the language in the United States.