Pete Hegseth Attacks Europe’s Immigration Policies In D-Day Anniversary Speech

BreakingBusinessPete Hegseth Attacks Europe’s Immigration Policies In D-Day Anniversary SpeechByAntonio Pequeño IV,Forbes Staff. Pequeño is a breaking news reporter who covers tech and more.Follow AuthorJun 06, 2026, 12:09pm EDTToplineDefense 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 ImagesKey FactsHegseth 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. if (!window.cnxel) { window.cnxel = {}; window.cnxel.cmd = []; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.style.display = 'none'; iframe.onload = function() { var iframeDoc = iframe.contentWindow.document; var script = iframeDoc.createElement('script'); script.src = '//cd.elements.video/player.js?cid=62cec241-7d09-4462-afc2-f72f8d8ef40a'; script.setAttribute('defer', '1'); script.setAttribute('type', 'text/javascript'); iframeDoc.body.appendChild(script); }; document.head.appendChild(iframe); const preloadResourcesEndpoint = 'https://cds.elements.video/a/preload-resources-ovp.json'; fetch(preloadResourcesEndpoint, { priority: 'low' }) .then(response => { if (!response.ok) { throw new Error('Network response was not ok', preloadResourcesEndpoint); } return response.json(); }) .then(data => { const cssUrl = data.css; const cssUrlLink = document.createElement('link'); cssUrlLink.rel = 'stylesh...