Trump has lived a long life believing he's the exception to every rule
The author argues that Trump’s threats toward Democrats illustrate his belief that he is exempt from accountability.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates Raw Story, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.
Raw Story is an established digital news outlet with identified authors, but the page is an explicitly opinion-driven column rather than independently reported straight news. The byline and interview material provide some transparency, while the article itself offers limited independent verification of its central claims.
- Source type — An established national digital outlet, though this page is an opinion column.
- Author attribution — The column identifies John Stoehr and names its interviewee.
- Editorial standards — The writing is openly argumentative, with limited documentary support for several claims.
- Transparency — The author distinguishes his own commentary from a quoted interview, but provides little sourcing beyond it.
The column identifies its author and interviewee, includes Kelly’s quoted remarks, and gives readers a clear account of the author’s argument. It offers little competing perspective or documentary evidence, and several forceful claims are asserted rather than independently substantiated.
HOW WE SCORE ↗This is a one-sided opinion column that supports Kelly and sharply criticizes Trump and Hegseth. It includes Kelly’s remarks and an interviewee who agrees with the author, but no response or substantive counterargument from the officials criticized.
- Counterarguments presented — No substantive defense or response from Trump or Hegseth appears.
- Loaded language — The author uses strongly evaluative language about Trump and endorses contempt toward him.
- Opinion vs reporting — The author states his own reactions and argues what the country needs to hear.
- Source diversity — The interviewee’s views largely reinforce the author’s position.
The column strongly criticizes Trump and Hegseth while praising Kelly and advancing an argument for Democratic accountability. Its explicitly approving and condemnatory language gives it a strong left-leaning frame.
- Language tone — Uses condemnatory descriptions of Trump and Hegseth and approving language about Kelly.
- Framing — Frames the dispute as elite impunity and presents Kelly as a model of resistance.
- Source selection — Features a sympathetic interviewee and does not include a response from Trump or Hegseth.
Republished
Republished from Alternet.org. The relationship between the two publishers has not been determined.
500 stories · 44.8–45.5 · updated Oct 13, 2026
This is Alternet.org's own score, and this article is credited to Alternet.org. The host score in the Source Check is Raw Story's.
John Stoehr argues that President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded improperly to a video urging service members to refuse illegal orders, and praises Senator Mark Kelly for saying he would not be intimidated. The column frames the dispute as a test of accountability and the rule of law.
Stoehr reports that Mark Kelly was one of six Democrats in a video reminding military personnel they must refuse illegal orders. He says Trump suggested the Democrats should be executed for sedition, while Hegseth threatened to prosecute Kelly. The column quotes Kelly saying Trump’s statements were inciting and that he would continue doing his job and holding the administration accountable.
Stoehr praises Kelly’s response and interviews former Stars and Stripes managing editor D. Earl Stephens, who describes the response as righteous anger and says the country must be law-abiding. Stephens also criticizes Hegseth and says Joe Biden and Merrick Garland failed to act urgently after January 6.
Community verdict
11 VOTES
Counts every outlet’s report of this story. See all 21
- Readers of left-leaning coverage: 25% good look
- Readers of right-leaning coverage: not enough votes yet
Votes cast on this page
Votes cast on this page: ▲ 2 · ◆ 3 · ▼ 6
People in this story
SWIPE →President whose threats and conduct are the subject of the column’s criticism
Senator whose video and response to Trump’s threats are central to the column
Kelly's version of this story ↗
Former attorney general criticized by the interviewee for the response to January 6
Secretary of Defense whom the column says threatened to prosecute Kelly
Former president criticized by the interviewee for the response to January 6
Senator referenced for framing an argument in terms of manliness
Part of a bigger story
20 OUTLETSOutlets across the left, center and right agree that Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she will resign from Congress in January after a public break with President Donald Trump. Left-leaning outlets stress Trump’s withdrawal of support and threatened primary challenge as central to Greene’s departure. Center outlets mostly recount the resignation and public rift, though one account spotlights pension timing. Right-leaning outlets split between criticism of network coverage, criticism of Greene, and straightforward accounts of the rupture.
- ARTICLES
- 21
- OUTLETS
- 20
- AVG CRED
- 68
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