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Pentagon confirms staff produced Hegseth video; watchdogs say it may break law

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets, all left-leaning.

3 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Men in dark suits and ties seated at a formal table, one looking sideways at camera.
Image via Raw StoryHow images are chosenReport this image

The Washington Post, Raw Story and The Daily Beast report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth released a video recorded outside the Pentagon while he faces reports that President Donald Trump is considering removing him. Hegseth’s office confirmed to the Post that Defense Department staff recorded and produced the video, and declined to say what it cost or whether it was reviewed for compliance with federal rules. Government watchdog groups told the Post the video likely broke federal law banning the use of federal funds for propaganda. The video, which attacks former President Joe Biden and members of Congress who have called for Hegseth’s resignation, was posted on social media on Thursday.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. Editors read every story. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Hegseth’s office confirmed that Defense Department staff recorded and produced the video.

    One outletRaw Story· Far Left

  2. Government watchdog groups say the video likely broke federal law banning the use of federal funds for propaganda.

    One side only: the leftReported byFar Left2Left1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Daily Beast, Raw Story
    Left
    The Washington Post

  3. The video attacks former President Joe Biden and members of Congress who have called for Hegseth’s resignation.

    One outletRaw Story· Far Left

  4. Hegseth’s office declined to say how much the video cost or whether it was reviewed for compliance with federal rules.

    One outletRaw Story· Far Left

  5. The video was posted on social media on Thursday, according to The Washington Post.

    One outletRaw Story· Far Left

  6. The video was released as Hegseth faces reports that President Donald Trump is considering removing him.

    One outletThe Daily Beast· Far Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Questions the coverage answers differently, and who says what.

  • Was the Hegseth video about five minutes long?

    The Daily Beast describes a 5-minute video, while Raw Story says the roughly six-minute video was citing The Washington Post.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Left-side outlets report that Hegseth’s office confirmed Pentagon staff produced a self-promotional video, which watchdog groups say likely broke federal law against using federal funds for propaganda.

  • the left

    3 outlets

    Left-side headlines stress the video’s use of Pentagon resources and Hegseth’s self-promotion; the Far Left outlets use sharper wording such as slammed and caught than the Washington Post’s watchdog framing.

    Hegseth draws fire after using government resources for partisan video
    The Washington PostLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    No coverage yet

    No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the right

    No coverage yet

    No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left3

    caughtfawning tributesSlammed

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right

    Has not covered this story.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    caughtMore neutral: reported to have used taxpayer funds for a video

    Caught asserts wrongdoing as established, while the story reports watchdog claims and a likely violation.

    Another Trump Cabinet official caught using taxpayer funds for partisan video: report

    Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    fawning tributesMore neutral: tributes to Trump

    Fawning judges the sincerity of the praise rather than describing the video’s content.

    …released a slickly produced 5-minute video appeal packed with self-praise and fawning tributes to his boss.

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    SlammedMore neutral: criticized

    Slammed implies harsh condemnation beyond reporting that Hegseth faced criticism.

    Pentagon Pete Slammed for Taxpayer-Funded Self-Promos

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

3 outlets

Leads with

  • taxpayer or Pentagon resources used for the video
  • self-promotion while Hegseth fights to keep his job
  • watchdog view that the video likely broke federal law
See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • The Daily BeastFar Left

    Pentagon Pete Loaded verb“Slammed”Slammed implies harsh condemnation beyond reporting that Hegseth faced criticism.More neutral: criticizedDisagree with this highlight? for Taxpayer-Funded Self-Promos

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing fresh backlash for using taxpayer dollars to make a self-promotional video while he fights to keep his job. …

    Read at The Daily Beast (opens in a new tab)
  • Raw StoryFar Left

    Another Trump Cabinet official Loaded verb“caught”Caught asserts wrongdoing as established, while the story reports watchdog claims and a likely violation.More neutral: reported to have used taxpayer funds for a videoDisagree with this highlight? using taxpayer funds for partisan video: report

    Government watchdog groups say Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth likely broke federal law by having Pentagon staff and taxpayer-funded resources produce a self-promotional video attacking Democrats as he fights to keep his job, The Washington Post reported Friday . …

    Read at Raw Story (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington PostLeft

    Hegseth draws fire after using government resources for partisan video

    Watchdog groups said the defense secretary’s self-promotional messaging as he fights to keep his job probably violated federal law.

    Read at The Washington Post (opens in a new tab)

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

0 outlets

No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    The Washington Post, Nov 6, 6:50 PM EST

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The Washington PostLeftNov 6, 6:50 PM EST
  2. Raw StoryFar LeftNov 7, 7:28 AM EST
  3. The Daily BeastFar LeftNov 7, 4:17 PM EST

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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