Reports that French villagers asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to skip a D-Day ceremony were largely unsubstantiated, fact-checkers found Saturday.
Local organizers in Normandy confirmed standard security planning but no formal petition requesting Hegseth’s absence.
A mistranslated regional blog post fueled the claim after U.S. force posture changes in Europe drew criticism online.
Commemoration committees said all allied defense leaders received invitations according to longstanding protocol.
Snopes traced the rumor to anonymous accounts without named mayors or council votes backing a boycott.
Historians cautioned against letting unverified social posts overshadow actual veteran-focused programming.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
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Sources:
https://www.snopes.com/author/laerke-christensen/