--- title: "George Clooney criticises US defence secretary over mockery of Canadian cadets" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/george-clooney-criticises-us-defence-secretary-over-mockery-of-canadian-cadets" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/george-clooney-criticises-us-defence-secretary-over-mockery-of-canadian-cadets" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/george-clooney-criticises-us-defence-secretary-over-mockery-of-canadian-cadets.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/george-clooney-criticises-us-defence-secretary-over-mockery-of-canadian-cadets" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-03T01:05:40.937Z" source_reported: "2026-09-02T22:09:12.009Z" updated: "2026-09-03T01:05:40.937Z" trust_score: 68 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-03T02:15:07.804232+00:00" --- # George Clooney criticises US defence secretary over mockery of Canadian cadets *Pete Hegseth’s social media post drew condemnation from Canadian politicians and the actor at the Venice Film Festival* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 68 of 100, higher is better. Named officials (Clooney, Hegseth, Carney, Eby) and two independent full reports raise trust to 68. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Clear attribution, quotes, context and next steps give a high craft score of 95. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headline matches content; language is measured, yielding a low hype score of 15. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted an image of two female Canadian military cadets on social media with the caption ‘this is real’ and a Canadian flag. - George Clooney criticised the post as cruel during a press conference at the Venice Film Festival, calling it a lack of decency. - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and other officials condemned the remarks, calling them ‘beneath their office’. - The Pentagon declined to comment beyond stating the post ‘speaks for itself’. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted an image of two female cadets at a British Columbia training centre on social media on 29 July 2026. The post included the words ‘this is real’ and a Canadian flag. The cadets were part of a federal youth program for ages 12 to 18, which the Army Cadet League of Canada describes as providing leadership and citizenship opportunities. Actor George Clooney criticised the post at the Venice Film Festival on 31 July 2026. He called the post cruel and asked, ‘Where’s the sense of decency in all of this?’ Clooney said he was ‘ashamed’ of the remarks but expressed optimism that the U.S. would move past the current political climate. He described the U.S. as a kakistocracy, a country run by the least qualified people. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the comments were ‘beneath their office’. British Columbia Premier David Eby called the post an embarrassment and linked it to broader criticisms of U.S. leadership. The Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, Jacob Bliss, said the post ‘speaks for itself’ when asked about the backlash. ## What the coverage left out None of the digests from the right-rated outlet mentioned the Army Cadet League of Canada’s statement or the specific age range of the cadets. The Toronto Sun’s digest did not include any condemnation from Canadian officials or the Pentagon’s response. > The idea that cruelty is the base, that being cruel and unkind is part of the fun of all of this. > > — George Clooney, actor ## Who covered it Shares of the 10 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 60% (6) - Centre: 30% (3) - Right: 10% (1) 0 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-03T02:15:07.804232+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-03T03:00:06.777Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The six left-rated reports led on George Clooney’s criticism of the post as cruel and body-shaming. Global News and CTV News quoted Clooney’s remarks in full, including his description of the U.S. as a kakistocracy. Both reports included condemnation from Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Mark Carney and B.C. Premier David Eby. - The Army Cadet League of Canada’s statement was quoted in full by Global News, which described the organisation as condemning ‘online harassment, or mockery of cadets’ achievements’. The Independent and HuffPost framed the story around Clooney’s reaction, with HuffPost calling the post an example of the right’s embrace of cruelty. The Daily Beast’s headline described the post as ‘fat-shaming’. ### Centre - The three centre-rated digests carried the core facts: Clooney’s criticism, the Pentagon’s response, and the Canadian political backlash. CTV News, the only centre-rated outlet with a full report, included Clooney’s remarks on U.S. politics and the Army Cadet League’s statement. The Hill and RadarOnline led on Clooney’s criticism but did not quote Canadian officials or the cadet league. ### Right - The Toronto Sun’s digest described Clooney as ‘lashing out’ at Hegseth and referred to him as the ‘U.S. Secretary of War’. It did not mention Clooney’s remarks on cruelty or decency, nor did it include any Canadian political response or the cadet league’s statement. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - mixed: 2 - high: 5 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [CTV News](https://ctvnews.ca/entertainment/article/george-clooney-slams-pete-hegseth-for-mocking-canadian-cadet-program) — George Clooney slams Pete Hegseth for mocking Canadian cadet program - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/george-clooney-pete-hegseth-canadian-b3043722.html) — George Clooney rips Hegseth over body-shaming post of Canadian cadet - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/george-clooney-pete-hegseth-canadian-b3043722.html) — George Clooney rips Hegseth over body-shaming post of Canadian cadet - [HuffPost](https://huffpost.com/entry/george-clooney-hegseth-canadian-military_n_6a98448ce4b087cf7f00bc15) — 'What's Wrong With You?' George Clooney Blasts Pete Hegseth For Body-Shaming Canadian Cadets - [OK! Magazine](https://okmagazine.com/p/george-clooney-slams-cruel-pete-hegseth-fat-shaming-canadian-military) — George Clooney Slams 'Cruel' Pete Hegseth for Fat-Shaming Canadian Military: 'I'm Ashamed' - [RadarOnline](https://radaronline.com/p/george-clooney-bashes-cruel-pete-hegseth-body-shame-cadets) — George Clooney Calls Out Pete Hegseth After Defense Secretary's 'Body-Shaming' Post - [Toronto Sun](https://torontosun.com/entertainment/celebrity/george-clooney-rips-pete-hegseth-mocking-canadian-military) — George Clooney rips Pete Hegseth for mocking Canadian military - [The Daily Beast](https://thedailybeast.com/obsessed/george-clooney-rips-into-pentagon-pete-whats-wrong-with-you) — George Clooney Rips Into Fat-Shaming Pentagon Pete - [Global News](https://globalnews.ca/news/12045085/george-clooney-calls-out-pete-hegseth-mocking-canadian-military) — George Clooney calls out Pete Hegseth for mocking Canadian military cadets - [The Hill](https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/6065857-clooney-hegseths-canadian-military-venice-film-festival) — Clooney rips Hegseth’s post knocking Canadian military: ‘What’s wrong with you?’ ## Questions **What did Pete Hegseth post about Canadian military cadets?** Pete Hegseth posted an image of two female Canadian military cadets on social media with the caption ‘this is real’ and a Canadian flag. The post was widely criticised as mocking the cadets’ appearance and drew condemnation from Canadian officials and George Clooney. **How did George Clooney respond to the post?** George Clooney criticised the post at the Venice Film Festival, calling it cruel and asking where the sense of decency was. He said he was ashamed of the remarks and described the U.S. as a kakistocracy, a country run by the least qualified people. **What did Canadian officials say about the post?** Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called the comments ‘beneath their office’. British Columbia Premier David Eby described the post as an embarrassment. The Pentagon declined to comment beyond stating the post ‘speaks for itself’. **Which outlets reported on the Army Cadet League’s response?** Global News and CTV News quoted the Army Cadet League of Canada’s statement condemning the mockery of cadets. The league described the post as unacceptable and reaffirmed its support for the cadets and their leaders. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/george-clooney-criticises-us-defence-secretary-over-mockery-of-canadian-cadets. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "George Clooney criticises US defence secretary over mockery of Canadian cadets", https://mediabias.news/politics/george-clooney-criticises-us-defence-secretary-over-mockery-of-canadian-cadets