YouGov poll: few Americans see Hegseth as a strong role model for men
A YouGov poll for The Bulwark and the podcast "Pablo Torre Finds Out" found 28% of Americans call Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth a strong role model for men and 39% do not. Of nine men tested, only President Trump rated lower.
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The story, neutrally told
Left · 2A YouGov poll for The Bulwark and the show "Pablo Torre Finds Out" found that 28% of Americans consider Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth a strong role model for American men, while 39% do not. Raw StoryL “Only 28% of American adults said Hegseth is a strong role model for American men, while 39% said he is not.” Read at Raw Story ↗ The IndependentLC “Just 28 percent of Americans viewed Hegseth as a strong role model for men, while 39 percent didn’t” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 2Among 18- to 29-year-olds, 18% saw him as a strong role model and 34% did not. Raw StoryL “Among 18- to 29-year-olds, just 18% saw him that way, compared with 34% who didn’t.” Read at Raw Story ↗ The IndependentLC “Just 18 percent of those between 18 and 29 years old viewed Hegseth as a strong role model, compared to 34 percent who didn’t.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 2Hegseth ranked second-worst of the nine men in the poll, who came from politics, sports and entertainment. Only President Donald Trump fared worse: 55% said he is not a strong male role model and 37% said he is, a net rating of minus 18. Raw StoryL “Fifty-five percent said Trump is not a strong male role model and 37% said he is, a net rating of minus 18.” Read at Raw Story ↗ The IndependentLC “Hegseth was the second-worst role model among the nine men from politics, sports and Hollywood that the new poll asked about.” Read at The Independent ↗
Left · 2Former President Barack Obama was among the highest rated, with 59% calling him a strong male role model and 31% saying he was not. Raw Story reports that actor Matthew McConaughey (net plus 33), Obama (plus 28) and NBA star LeBron James (plus 25) ranked highest, and that 28% of Trump voters called Obama a strong role model. The IndependentLC “A staggering 59 percent of Americans said Obama was a strong male role model while 31 percent said he wasn’t.” Read at The Independent ↗ Raw StoryL “The top-rated men were actor Matthew McConaughey (net plus 33), former President Barack Obama (plus 28) and NBA star LeBron James (plus 25).” Read at Raw Story ↗ Left · 1Raw Story, citing the poll, adds that California Gov. Gavin Newsom scored minus 2, with 35% calling him a strong male role model and 37% disagreeing. It reports the poll surveyed 1,417 adults from Oct. 10 to 14, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. Raw StoryL “California Gov. Gavin Newsom landed at minus 2, with 35% calling him a strong male role model and 37% disagreeing.”“The poll surveyed 1,417 adults Oct. 10 to 14 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.” Read at Raw Story ↗ Left · 1The Bulwark's Brendan Hartnett wrote that Hegseth "obviously sees himself as a paragon of masculinity", citing his push to rebrand the Pentagon as the Department of War, his order for testosterone screening of service members, his workout videos with troops and his skepticism of women in leadership. Hartnett said the results show the limits of Hegseth's "alpha male preening". Raw StoryL “The Bulwark noted that Hegseth “obviously sees himself as a paragon of masculinity,””“Hartnett wrote that the findings expose the limits of Hegseth’s “alpha male preening.”” Read at Raw Story ↗
Left · 1The Independent describes The Bulwark as an "anti-Trump news outlet" and gives background on Hegseth: in November 2024 he said on Shawn Ryan's podcast that women should not be in combat roles, and in July he directed male service members aged 30 and over to get annual testosterone deficiency screenings, which the Pentagon says offers treatment to those found deficient. The IndependentLC “conducted by YouGov for the anti-Trump news outlet The Bulwark and the sports and culture show Pablo Torre Finds Out.”“In July, Hegseth directed male service members 30 years and older to get annual screenings for testosterone deficiency.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Hegseth has defended the screening, saying in a news release that it "is not about artificial enhancement" but about "restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities". In a late-September "State of the Force" address at Marine Corps Base Quantico he said the department was no longer "the woke department or the weak department" and listed "No fatties. No trannies. No beardos. No weirdos. No wimps." The IndependentLC “"This initiative...is not about artificial enhancement; it's about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities”““We are no longer the woke department or the weak department.” Read at The Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets lead with the poll as an embarrassment for Hegseth's masculine image, using mocking headlines and tying the results to his public statements and policies.
- Emphasis
- Hegseth's low ratings, especially among young adults, and that only Trump rated lower; the Independent adds his quotes on women in combat and the 'No fatties' speech.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither outlet details the poll's methodology beyond sample size (Raw Story only), nor gives a Hegseth or Pentagon response to the poll. The Independent omits the margin of error and sample size.
- Charged language
- “alpha male preening”“faceplants”“embarrassing new poll”“Humiliating poll”“Pentagon bro-in-chief”
- For example
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“Hegseth’s ‘alpha male preening’ faceplants with Americans in embarrassing new poll” — Raw Story
“A humiliating poll has revealed how few Americans see Pete Hegseth as a strong role model as the Pentagon bro-in-chief” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- YouGov polled for The Bulwark and Pablo Torre Finds Out.
- 28% called Hegseth a strong male role model and 39% did not.
- Among 18-29s it was 18% yes and 34% no.
- Only Trump rated lower among nine men; 55% said he is not a strong role model and 37% said he is.
The Bulwark organisation
The Bulwark, which commissioned the poll, says Hegseth sees himself as a paragon of masculinity but is not seen as a model for young men.
“a new national survey … shows it’s exactly the opposite.”” — Raw Story
Pete Hegseth person
Hegseth has framed his testosterone screening and military culture changes as restoring warfighters' natural capabilities and rooting out 'woke' and 'weak' attitudes; no response to the poll is reported.
“it's about restoring and optimizing your natural capabilities, protecting your longevity” — The Independent
Left2 articles
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Hegseth’s ‘alpha male preening’ faceplants with Americans in embarrassing new poll
Critical Relays The Bulwark's write-up of the poll as a rebuke of Hegseth's masculine self-image, including sample size and margin of error.
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Not that Alpha? Humiliating poll reveals how few Americans think Pete Hegseth is strong role model
Critical Presents the poll as humiliating for Hegseth and surrounds it with his controversial statements on women in combat and the military.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 27 Oct 13:07 First Raw StoryL Hegseth’s ‘alpha male preening’ faceplants with Americans in embarrassing new poll
- 27 Oct 18:59 +5h 52m The IndependentLC Not that Alpha? Humiliating poll reveals how few Americans think Pete Hegseth is strong role model
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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