Guard reprimands Defense Secretary Hegseth at Tomb of Unknown Soldier
A sentinel called out the defense secretary and his staff for talking and taking photos after a Veterans Day ceremony.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
President Donald Trump, from left, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Maj. Gen. Antoinette Gant, commanding general of the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, walk to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2026, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Photograph: CTV News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- A U.S. Army sentinel reprimanded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a group of his senior advisers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
- The reprimand occurred after some members of Hegseth's group were heard laughing and talking near the memorial following a Veterans Day ceremony.
- The sentinel called out, “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”
- The incident took place at Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day.
A U.S. Army sentinel guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier reprimanded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a group of his senior advisers. The reprimand happened after some in the group laughed and talked near the memorial following a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The sentinel called out, “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.” Hegseth was taking photos in front of the tomb with his wife, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver, and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh.
Disagreement on who was present
CTV News and The Independent (US) reported that Hegseth was with his wife, Jennifer, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver, and senior adviser and deputy assistant Tami Radabaugh. Other reports did not specify the full composition of the group.
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mentioned that President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance also attended the Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, as stated by CTV News.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
An Army Guard member posted at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was forced to yell at a group traveling with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after they were caught laughing during a Veterans Day ceremony (AFP/Getty)
The Independent (US) — embedded from source
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
- Left-rated reports highlighted the reprimand of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his staff for their conduct at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Alternet framed the incident as Hegseth's staff being "torn apart for laughing at Tomb of Unknown Soldier" and noted that Hegseth "enjoys holding conferences and marching back and forth onstage, extolling the virtues of the military." Raw Story described the event as a "stunning moment" where an Army sentinel "scolds Hegseth and top Pentagon staff." The Independent (US) connected the incident to a recent near-impeachment vote, quoting political commentator Krystal Ball calling Hegseth a "war criminal" and journalist Mehdi Hasan suggesting Democrats "pick a different Speaker."
Centre
- Centre-rated reports focused on the reprimand of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his advisers by a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guard. Newsweek stated Hegseth's group was "warned by guard over conduct at Tomb of Unknown Soldier." KRDO and KMIZ, both citing CNN, reported that video showed a soldier reprimanding Hegseth and his advisers. CTV News also reported the incident, noting Hegseth was taking photos with his wife, chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, and senior adviser.
Right
We hold no leaning breakdown for this story, so there is nothing to report about the right.
Questions about this coverage
- Is the coverage of Guard reprimands Defense Secretary Hegseth at Tomb of Unknown Soldier biased?
- Guard reprimands Defense Secretary Hegseth at Tomb of Unknown Soldier is one event reported by several outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- What happened at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?
- A U.S. Army sentinel guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier reprimanded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a group of his senior advisers. The sentinel called out for silence and respect after members of Hegseth's group were heard laughing and talking near the memorial following a Veterans Day ceremony.
- Who was with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth?
- According to CTV News, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was taking photos in front of the tomb with his wife, Jennifer, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver, and senior adviser and deputy assistant Tami Radabaugh.
- What did the sentinel say?
- The sentinel guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier called out, “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.” This was in response to laughter and talking from Hegseth's group.
Read it at the source
10 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
5- Army sentinel scolds Hegseth and top Pentagon staff in ‘stunning moment’ at Arlington (opens Raw Story in a new tab)
- Hegseth staff torn apart for laughing at Tomb of Unknown Soldier (opens Alternet in a new tab)
- Hegseth’s group reprimanded for laughing during Veterans Day honoring (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Hegseth’s group reprimanded for laughing during Veterans Day honoring (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Hegseth and advisers reprimanded by guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (opens CNN in a new tab)
Centre
4- Video shows soldier reprimanding Hegseth and advisers at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (opens KRDO in a new tab)
- Hegseth and advisers reprimanded by guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (opens CTV News in a new tab)
- Hegseth's group warned by guard over conduct at Tomb of Unknown Soldier (opens Newsweek in a new tab)
- Video shows soldier reprimanding Hegseth and advisers at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (opens KMIZ in a new tab)
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
1How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
