CNN recently interviewed a member of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, asking how he felt about President Donald Trump labeling him and other gang members as terrorists. The cartel member expressed to CNN’s Isobel Yeung his “respect” for the US leader.

“According to the Trump Administration, you are a terrorist. The cartels have been labeled a foreign terrorist organization. What do you make of that,” Yeung asked the man, who covered up his face with a hat, sunglasses, and a mask.

“Well, the situation is ugly,” he said. “But we have to eat.”

Yeung asked what the man’s message would be if Trump was watching, to which he said, “my respect. According to him, he’s looking out for his people. But the problem is the consumers are [in the United States]. If there weren’t any consumers, we would stop.” 

CNN was criticized on social media for trying to “humanize foreign terrorists.” President Donald Trump has designated cartel groups such as Sinaloa as foreign terrorist organizations.

Conservative commentator Mike Cernovich wrote, “CNN is doing propaganda for the cartels, asking them how they feel about the way Trump is treating them. If you wondered what the banality of evil would look like in 2025, it’s CNN.”

Libs of TikTok wrote, “CNN is now sitting down with foreign terrorist drug traffickers to ask how they feel about Trump’s policies and being labeled terrorists. UNREAL.”

The Media Research Center wrote, “CNN is interviewing drug cartel members and asking them how they feel about being labeled as terrorists. Why is CNN trying to humanize foreign terrorists?”