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Former President Joe Biden publishes memoir defending his 2024 re-election bid

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 5 outlets, mostly left-leaning (80%).

7 articles in total, 2 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Older man with white hair smiling upward in front of a blue seal backdrop.
Image via HuffPostHow images are chosenReport this image

Former President Joe Biden’s new memoir, “Promise Me, America,” defends his decision to seek re-election in 2024, according to excerpts and coverage from several outlets. CNN and The New York Times say the book revisits the disastrous June 2024 debate against Donald Trump and the pressure to drop out, and that Biden argues he was treated unfairly. Newsweek reports that he recounts a tense confrontation with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who visited his Delaware beach house urging him to leave the race. The Atlantic’s opinion piece calls the book unrepentant, and RedState, an opinion outlet, reads it as a lingering grudge.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. Editors read every story. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Biden’s new memoir, “Promise Me, America,” has been published, with excerpts released beforehand.

    Reported byFar Left1Left4Center1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Left
    The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, The Atlantic
    Center
    Newsweek
    Far Right
    RedState

  2. Biden defends his decision to seek re-election in 2024 and says it was the right choice.

    One side only: the leftReported byFar Left1Left4See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Left
    The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, The Atlantic

  3. The New York Times says many in Biden’s party now regard his decision to run again as a mistake.

    One outletThe New York Times· Left

  4. Biden writes that he felt treated unfairly over the June 2024 debate against Donald Trump and the calls for him to drop out.

    One side only: the leftReported byLeft2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The New York Times, CNN

  5. Biden writes that Chuck Schumer visited his Delaware beach house during the 2024 campaign and urged him to leave the race.

    One outletNewsweek· Center

  6. The memoir addresses questions about Biden’s mental acuity, which he rebuts.

    One outletCNN· Left

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side present covers Biden’s new memoir, which revisits his 2024 debate, his withdrawal from the race and his decision to seek re-election. The left stresses his defiance and debate account, the centre a tense Schumer confrontation, and the right, through one opinion piece, a lingering grudge.

  • the left

    4 outlets · 1 opinion

    Mainstream left headlines quote Biden’s own words or report what the memoir revisits, while the Far Left HuffPost and The Atlantic lead with his defiance and call him unrepentant.

    ‘Hell, I was living it’: Joe Biden airs his frustration with Democratic critics in new memoir
    CNNLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    Only one centre outlet is supplied, and Newsweek’s headline leads with a quoted anecdote about Biden’s clash with Schumer, framing the memoir through that personal confrontation.

    Biden Recalls Sensational language“Furious Confrontation”The excerpt describes the exchange as a tense confrontation, and ‘furious’ adds a stronger emotional judgement than the reporting supports.More neutral: Tense ConfrontationDisagree with this highlight? With Schumer: ‘A Lot of Gumption’
    NewsweekCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    0 outlets · 1 opinion

    Only one right-side piece is supplied, an opinion column from Far Right RedState reading the memoir as a lingering grudge that may target Obama and Pelosi.

    Biden's New Book Loaded verb“Reveals a Lingering Grudge”Presents a motive as something the book shows, when the excerpt gives only the writer’s reading of the text.More neutral: Biden’s New Book Mentions Obama and PelosiDisagree with this highlight?, and Obama and Pelosi May Be the Targets
    RedStateFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left5

    pugnacious, unrepentant, and unreflectiveworst presidential-debate performanceinfamous tankingdownplays the impact

  • Center1

    Furious Confrontation

  • Right6

    cluelesshorrific performanceinfamousfantasies about his cognitive ability

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded modifier

    pugnacious, unrepentant, and unreflectiveMore neutral: firm in his views and unapologetic about his choices

    Gives three judgements of the author’s character that the review argues rather than shows.

    In his new memoir, the 46th president is pugnacious, unrepentant, and unreflective.

    Used byThe Atlantic (Left)

  • Sensational language

    worst presidential-debate performanceMore neutral: poor debate performance

    States a superlative judgement as settled fact, with no ranking cited in the excerpt.

    …to run for reelection, and his attempt to stay in the race after the worst presidential-debate performance in American history.

    Used byThe Atlantic (Left)

  • Sensational language

    infamous tankingMore neutral: poor debate performance

    ‘Infamous’ and ‘tanking’ pass judgement on the debate performance, where a plain description of it would do.

    …reelection, and how he thinks he was treated unfairly in the response to his infamous tanking of his debate with Donald Trump.

    Used byCNN (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    cluelessMore neutral: seemed unaware of how the debate affected him

    Calls Biden’s understanding foolish, a judgement about the person rather than a reported fact.

    One of the things that was very striking about that interview was how clueless he seemed to be.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

Show 8 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    horrific performanceMore neutral: debate performance

    Presents a judgement of the debate performance as a plain description of it.

    He said he didn't think his horrific performance in that infamous debate was "consequential" at all — despite it forcing him…

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    infamousMore neutral: known for (describe)

    Judgement of reputation as fact.

    He said he didn't think his horrific performance in that infamous debate was "consequential" at all — despite it forcing him ultimately to drop out of…

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    fantasies about his cognitive abilityMore neutral: concerns about his cognitive ability

    Describes concerns about Biden’s cognitive ability as fantasies, which dismisses them without evidence.

    …seem to understand how he had been undone by that debate when all the fantasies about his cognitive ability were blown away.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    the delusionMore neutral: his views of the debate

    Calls Biden’s views a delusion, a judgement about his mental state that the excerpt does not establish.

    But that apparently is only the beginning of the delusion that he's exhibiting.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    Reveals a Lingering GrudgeMore neutral: Biden’s New Book Mentions Obama and Pelosi

    Presents a motive as something the book shows, when the excerpt gives only the writer’s reading of the text.

    Biden's New Book Reveals a Lingering Grudge, and Obama and Pelosi May Be the Targets

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    Furious ConfrontationMore neutral: Tense Confrontation

    The excerpt describes the exchange as a tense confrontation, and ‘furious’ adds a stronger emotional judgement than the reporting supports.

    Biden Recalls Furious Confrontation With Schumer: ‘A Lot of Gumption’

    Used byNewsweek (Center)

  • Loaded verb

    downplays the impactMore neutral: addresses the impact of

    It asserts Biden’s motive for how he treats the debate rather than describing what his book says.

    …muster during the race itself, in his memoir set for release on Tuesday, and downplays the impact of a disastrous debate performance while insisting his critics could “never…

    Used byHuffPost (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    UnrepentantMore neutral: Biden

    It characterizes Biden’s stance as lacking remorse, a judgement the article’s own reporting does not establish beyond his statements.

    An Unrepentant Biden Defends Reelection Decision In New Book

    Used byHuffPost (Far Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

4 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • Biden defends re-election decision
  • frustration with critics
  • treatment after the debate

Leaves out

  • Schumer confrontation at the Delaware beach house

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 5 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • The New York TimesLeft

    5 Takeaways from Joe Biden’s Memoir: The Debate, Dropping Out and Advice From Romney

    The 46th president defends his decision to run for re-election, which many in his party now regard as a mistake, and revisits the disastrous debate that forced him to end his campaign.

    Read at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)
  • HuffPostFar Left

    An Loaded modifier“Unrepentant”It characterizes Biden’s stance as lacking remorse, a judgement the article’s own reporting does not establish beyond his statements.More neutral: BidenDisagree with this highlight? Biden Defends Reelection Decision In New Book

    HuffPost obtained a copy of Biden’s new memoir, “Promise Me, America.”

    Read at HuffPost (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington PostLeft

    Biden defends his 2024 run and reckons with Trump in new memoir

    In “Promise Me, America,” the former president revisits the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, and defends his decision to seek a second term.

    Read at The Washington Post (opens in a new tab)
  • CNNLeft

    ‘Hell, I was living it’: Joe Biden airs his frustration with Democratic critics in new memoir

    Responding almost point by point to his many critics over the last two-and-a-half years, Joe Biden devotes a full chapter of his new memoir to rebutting questions about his mental acuity, his decision to seek reelection, and how he thinks he was treated unfairly in the response …

    Read at CNN (opens in a new tab)
  • The AtlanticLeftOpinion

    Biden: I Was Right to Seek Reelection

    In his new memoir, the 46th president is Loaded modifier“pugnacious, unrepentant, and unreflective”Gives three judgements of the author’s character that the review argues rather than shows.More neutral: firm in his views and unapologetic about his choicesDisagree with this highlight?.

    Read at The Atlantic (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Schumer confrontation
  • personal loyalty and friendship
  • pressure to withdraw after the debate

Leaves out

  • Biden’s argument that seeking re-election was the right decision

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • NewsweekCenter

    Biden Recalls Sensational language“Furious Confrontation”The excerpt describes the exchange as a tense confrontation, and ‘furious’ adds a stronger emotional judgement than the reporting supports.More neutral: Tense ConfrontationDisagree with this highlight? With Schumer: ‘A Lot of Gumption’

    Joe Biden recalled a tense confrontation with Chuck Schumer during the final weeks of his 2024 presidential campaign.

    Read at Newsweek (opens in a new tab)

From the right

0 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • Biden’s lingering grudge
  • possible targets Obama and Pelosi
  • People magazine interview
See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • RedStateFar RightOpinion

    Biden's New Book Loaded verb“Reveals a Lingering Grudge”Presents a motive as something the book shows, when the excerpt gives only the writer’s reading of the text.More neutral: Biden’s New Book Mentions Obama and PelosiDisagree with this highlight?, and Obama and Pelosi May Be the Targets

    I reported the other day on a short interview that Joe Biden did with People magazine.

    Read at RedState (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    CNN, Nov 13, 11:26 AM EST

  • Center

    3 hr 56 min later

    Its first report, Nov 13, 3:22 PM EST

  • Right

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. CNNLeftNov 13, 11:26 AM EST
  2. The Washington PostLeftNov 13, 2:36 PM EST
  3. NewsweekCenterNov 13, 3:22 PM EST
  4. HuffPostFar LeftNov 13, 4:09 PM EST
  5. The New York TimesLeftNov 13, 6:01 PM EST

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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