{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/conflict/defense-secretary-hegseth-cut-civilian-harm-program-despite-commander-advice","slug":"defense-secretary-hegseth-cut-civilian-harm-program-despite-commander-advice","url":"https://mediabias.news/conflict/defense-secretary-hegseth-cut-civilian-harm-program-despite-commander-advice","title":"Defense Secretary Hegseth cut civilian harm program despite commander advice","subtitle":"Top military leaders advised against reducing the program designed to prevent noncombatant deaths.","excerpt":"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth eliminated most of the funding and staff for the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response program, despite advice from top commanders. The U.S. military has since killed hundreds of noncombatants.","category":"Conflict & Security","area":"Middle East","publishedAt":"2026-08-25T23:05:11.432Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-08-25T20:40:11.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-25T23:05:11.432Z","readTime":"4 min read","scores":{"trust":60,"critic":61,"hype":41,"notes":{"trust":"Central claim attributed to ProPublica, with two independent outlets and a memo cited.","critic":"Reports quote affected parties and explain why the story matters, with specific details provided.","hype":"Headlines promise more than the body delivers, with some loaded adjectives used."}},"tags":["#CivilianHarm","#MilitaryPolicy","#MiddleEastConflict","#PeteHegseth"],"entities":["Pete Hegseth","U.S. military","Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response program","Army","Iran","Yemen"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth polled top commanders about cutting the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response program.","Nine commanders advised cutting staff by 65% but keeping the program operational; two wanted to maintain it fully.","Hegseth eliminated most of the program's funding and staff, leading to hundreds of noncombatant deaths.","The U.S. military has been without an Army chief of staff since April, following a series of firings by Hegseth."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth polled top commanders about reducing the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response program, which aims to prevent civilian casualties during U.S. military operations. Despite advice from these commanders, Hegseth eliminated most of the program's funding and staff. Since this reduction, the U.S. military has killed hundreds of noncombatants."},{"type":"heading","text":"Conflicting accounts of commander advice"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Defense One reported that nine commanders advised cutting staff by 65% but keeping the program operational, while leaders of two commands asked to maintain the program fully. Raw Story and ProPublica digests stated that every top military commander rebuffed Hegseth's push to dismantle the program. Alternet and Joe.My.God. digests reported that senior officials were alarmed by Hegseth's firings and purges."},{"type":"heading","text":"What the coverage left out"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mentioned any specific figures for the number of noncombatants killed by the U.S. military since the gutting of the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response mission, beyond stating \"hundreds.\""}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"Joe.My.God.","url":"https://joemygod.com/2026/08/nyt-purge-of-top-generals-leaves-army-rudderless","headline":"NYT: Purge Of Top Generals Leaves Army “Rudderless”","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-25T20:40:11.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Alternet","url":"https://alternet.org/trump-blood","headline":"'Paid for in blood': Senior military officers alarmed at Trump firings","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-25T19:02:29.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Raw Story","url":"https://rawstory.com/pete-hegseth-2677775271","headline":"‘Bombs away!’ Hegseth axed program that kept troops from killing civilians","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-25T18:00:03.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Seattle Times","url":"https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/hegseths-purge-of-top-generals-leaves-the-army-rudderless","headline":"Hegseth’s purge of top generals leaves the Army rudderless","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-25T17:55:33.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Defense One","url":"https://defenseone.com/policy/2026/08/hegseth-civilian-protection-axed/415621","headline":"Senior officers advised Hegseth to keep civilian-protection program. He axed it anyway","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-25T16:35:21.000Z"},{"sourceName":"ProPublica","url":"https://propublica.org/article/hegseth-civilian-harm-mitigation-response-trump-defense-department","headline":"Top Commanders Told Hegseth Not to Cut Civilian Protection Program, Poll Showed. He Did It Anyway.","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-25T15:05:00.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The New Republic","url":"https://newrepublic.com/post/214747/hegseth-army-purges-undermined-iran","headline":"Hegseth’s Army Purges Have Undermined Military Leadership on Iran","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-25T12:00:00.000Z"}],"analysis":{"distribution":{"percent":{"left":86,"centre":14,"right":0},"count":{"left":6,"centre":1,"right":0},"totalSources":7,"untracked":0,"rated":7,"observedAt":"2026-08-25T22:53:46.540Z"},"lifecycle":{"state":"developing","lastCheckedAt":"2026-08-26T00:00:29.000Z","closedAt":null,"checks":4,"changes":0,"reopened":false},"framing":{"left":["Left-rated reports led on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's decision to gut the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response program despite advice from military commanders. The New Republic, Joe.My.God., Alternet, Raw Story, and The Seattle Times digests highlighted that Hegseth's actions have left the Army without a chief of staff since April and have resulted in the firing of at least half a dozen senior officers. These reports also noted that the U.S. military has killed hundreds of noncombatants since the program's reduction. The New Republic also detailed the economic impact of the conflict on American farmers due to rising oil and fertilizer costs."],"centre":["Defense One emphasised that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth polled top commanders about cutting the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response program. The report stated that nine commanders advised cutting staff by 65% but keeping the program operational, while two wanted to maintain it fully. It also noted that Hegseth eliminated most of the program's funding and staff, and that the U.S. military has killed hundreds of noncombatants since the program's gutting. The report mentioned that the Pentagon is considering partially restoring the program after significant blowback."],"right":[],"comparison":""},"blindspot":{"status":"provisional","underrepresentedSide":"right","note":"Coverage is not closed; this is a provisional gap, not a settled blindspot finding."},"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"high":5,"unknown":1,"veryHigh":1},"ownershipDistribution":{"privateEquity":1,"independent":6},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"The New Republic","url":"https://newrepublic.com/post/214747/hegseth-army-purges-undermined-iran","publishedAt":"2026-08-25T12:00:00.000Z"},"countries":[{"country":"Washington, District of Columbia, United States","count":2},{"country":"New York, New York, United States","count":1},{"country":"Seattle, King County, Washington, United States","count":1},{"country":"Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States","count":1}],"outlets":[{"name":"The New Republic","url":"https://newrepublic.com/post/214747/hegseth-army-purges-undermined-iran","headline":"Hegseth’s Army Purges Have Undermined Military Leadership on Iran","publishedAt":"2026-08-25T12:00:00.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"left","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":true,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"ProPublica","url":"https://propublica.org/article/hegseth-civilian-harm-mitigation-response-trump-defense-department","headline":"Top Commanders Told Hegseth Not to Cut Civilian Protection Program, Poll Showed. He Did It Anyway.","publishedAt":"2026-08-25T15:05:00.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"New York, New York, United States","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Defense One","url":"https://defenseone.com/policy/2026/08/hegseth-civilian-protection-axed/415621","headline":"Senior officers advised Hegseth to keep civilian-protection program. 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