Additional Coverage:
- Pete Hegseth embarrassingly declares ‘I only speak American’ to room full of foreign leaders (irishstar.com)
Defense Secretary Hegseth’s “American” Declaration Raises Eyebrows at Latin American Summit
DORAL, FL – A recent address by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the inaugural Shields of the Americas summit in Doral has sparked considerable online debate after he declared, “I only speak American,” to an audience largely composed of Latin American leaders. The comment, made while standing alongside President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, quickly became a talking point on social media.
The event saw President Trump introduce both Hegseth and Rubio, praising their commitment to American interests. Trump playfully noted Rubio’s bilingual skills, asking, “Is he better in Spanish or in English?
I think he’s better in Spanish.” He then invited Hegseth to the podium, where the Defense Secretary delivered his now-controversial statement.
While “American” is often used colloquially to refer to the English language as spoken in the United States, it is not recognized as an official language separate from English. This linguistic nuance was not lost on many online commentators, who swiftly criticized Hegseth’s remark.
Reactions ranged from incredulity to outright condemnation. One user commented, “We have the dumbest leaders ever,” while another found it “a weird thing to be proud of.”
Another user emphasized the distinction, stating, “There is no such thing as an American language, and there is no such thing as an American race.” Some also pointed out Hegseth’s apparent look for validation from the crowd after his joke.
However, not all feedback was negative. A segment of social media users came to Hegseth’s defense, equating “American” with English.
One supporter wrote, “It’s America’s Language,” while another added, “Over 75% of America speaks English. The founding fathers spoke English.
Every sign is in English. Yes, we speak ‘American’ aka English.”
During the same summit, President Trump also weighed in on the topic of languages, humorously stating, “I don’t have time” to learn the languages of the represented countries. He acknowledged Rubio’s linguistic advantage, joking that the Secretary of State “likes your countries the best” and “feels very calm” when visiting them. Trump reiterated his stance on language learning, telling the audience, “I’m not going to spend time learning your language,” to a subdued reaction.