Pete Hegseth announces 'We do bad things to bad people' as cartel coalition motto
The US defence secretary’s phrase, unveiled in Panama, draws criticism over military tactics and due process concerns
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Pete Hegseth announces 'We do bad things to bad people' as cartel coalition motto
Photograph: Mandatory (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Pete Hegseth announced the motto 'We do bad things to bad people' for the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (ACCC) during a speech in Panama on 14 August 2026.
- The Trump administration established the ACCC in March 2026 to coordinate efforts against drug cartels, focusing on border security, narco-terrorism, and critical infrastructure protection.
- Critics argue the military approach to suspected cartel members raises due process concerns, while supporters say it is necessary to counter transnational crime.
- No left-rated outlet carried the story, according to the reports below.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 6 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 1 of the 7 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
74/100
Craft
68/100
Hype
32/100
7 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
None of the 6 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, announced a new motto for the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (ACCC) during a speech in Panama on 14 August 2026. The phrase, 'We do bad things to bad people,' was introduced as part of the coalition’s efforts to counter transnational drug cartels and designated terrorist organisations. Hegseth said the administration would 'empower great Americans and great partners to do really good stuff' in bringing violence against these groups.
The ACCC was established by the Trump administration in March 2026. Its stated goals include border security, countering narco-terrorism and trafficking, and protecting critical infrastructure across the Western Hemisphere. The coalition’s formation followed the administration’s designation of several drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organisations, a move that expanded the scope of military operations against them.
Critics of Hegseth’s remarks questioned the administration’s military approach to suspected cartel members. Some cited concerns about due process, arguing that targeting individuals without trial could bypass legal protections. Others referenced past US military actions, including a 2025 strike on an alleged drug-carrying vessel that killed 11 people, as examples of the risks of such operations. Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, have previously opposed the use of military force against suspected criminals without trial.
What the coverage left out
No left-rated outlet ran the story, according to the reports below. None of the right-rated digests mentioned the due process concerns or the criticisms of the administration’s military approach that were reported by the centre-rated outlets. The centre-rated reports did not include any statements from the Defense Department responding to the backlash over Hegseth’s remarks.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 15 Aug 2026, 02:30, and will add the sides that appear.
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.
Source: MEGAPete Hegseth has once again been called out for a questionable decision.
RadarOnline — 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
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated left has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Centre
3 rated outlets
- The three centre-rated reports led on the backlash to Hegseth’s motto. Mandatory and RadarOnline both quoted social media reactions, including users who called Hegseth a 'jerk' and questioned his enthusiasm for military force. RadarOnline included a comment alleging the US government 'butcher[s] innocent people' and referenced a 2025 missile strike on an Iranian elementary school that killed approximately 110 to 120 children. Both outlets reported critics’ concerns about due process and the broader implications of the administration’s military strategy.
- Mandatory described the ACCC’s focus on border security and countering narco-terrorism, while RadarOnline noted the coalition was established 'to combat transnational drug cartels, reduce illegal migration across the Western Hemisphere, and limit foreign geopolitical interference.' The Frederick News-Post digest did not carry the story’s substance, focusing instead on an unrelated opinion piece.
Right
3 rated outlets
- The three right-rated digests framed Hegseth’s announcement as a decisive move against cartels. Bizpac Review and American Wire News both used the phrase 'no-nonsense' in their headlines to describe the motto. The digests quoted Hegseth’s statement that 'for too long, bad people did bad things to good people' and noted the administration’s intent to 'empower great Americans and great partners' in the campaign. USSANews.com’s digest described the motto as targeting 'drug cartels and designated terrorist organizations' and emphasised the role of international partnerships.
- None of the right-rated digests mentioned the criticisms of Hegseth’s remarks or the due process concerns raised by opponents. They also did not reference the 2025 missile strike or the broader debate over military operations against suspected cartel members.
Read it at the source
7 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
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Centre
3- Pete Hegseth Mocked Over New Drug War Motto: ‘We Do Bad Things’ (opens Mandatory in a new tab)
- Pete Hegseth Mocked by Critics as He Unveils New Motto in War on Drug Cartels (opens RadarOnline in a new tab)
RadarOnline — is RadarOnline biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Marsden has no clue about military service (opens The Frederick News-Post in a new tab)
The Frederick News-Post — is The Frederick News-Post biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
Right
3- Pete Hegseth coins NO-NONSENSE phrase leftists will hate (opens Bizpac Review in a new tab)
Bizpac Review — is Bizpac Review biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pete Hegseth coins NO-NONSENSE phrase leftists will hate (opens American Wire News in a new tab)
American Wire News — is American Wire News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Hegseth UNVEILS NEW motto in the war on drug cartels #shorts #us #news #foxnews (opens ussanews.com in a new tab)
ussanews.com — is ussanews.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
1Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Pete Hegseth announces 'We do bad things to bad people' as cartel…?
- Of the 6 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 0% are rated left, 50% are rated centre, 50% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 7. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Pete Hegseth announces 'We do bad things to bad people' as cartel… left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 6 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Pete Hegseth announces 'We do bad things to bad people' as cartel… biased?
- Pete Hegseth announces 'We do bad things to bad people' as cartel coalition motto is one event reported by 7 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.
- Which side is not reporting Pete Hegseth announces 'We do bad things to bad people' as cartel…?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Pete Hegseth announces 'We do bad things to bad people' as cartel…?
- 7 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What is the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition?
- The Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (ACCC) was established by the Trump administration in March 2026 to coordinate efforts against transnational drug cartels. Its focus includes border security, countering narco-terrorism and trafficking, and protecting critical infrastructure across the Western Hemisphere. The coalition was formed after the administration designated several drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organisations.
- Why did Pete Hegseth’s motto draw criticism?
- Critics questioned the motto 'We do bad things to bad people' for its implications about the administration’s military approach to suspected cartel members. Concerns included due process, as targeting individuals without trial could bypass legal protections. Some also referenced past US military actions, such as a 2025 strike that killed 11 people, to argue against the strategy.
- Which outlets reported on the story?
- Three centre-rated outlets (Mandatory, RadarOnline, and The Frederick News-Post) and three right-rated outlets (Bizpac Review, American Wire News, and USSANews.com) carried the story. No left-rated outlet reported on it, according to the material below. The centre-rated reports focused on the backlash to Hegseth’s remarks, while the right-rated digests emphasised the administration’s stance.
How did this read?
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