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Debra Messing endorses Republican Bruce Blakeman for New York governor

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 8 outlets, all right-leaning.

8 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Actress Debra Messing, known for her role on “Will & Grace,” announced her endorsement of Republican Bruce Blakeman in the New York governor’s race, breaking from incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. Messing, who has previously campaigned for Hillary Clinton and donated to Cynthia Nixon’s 2018 gubernatorial campaign and has criticized President Trump, said at a Manhattan fundraiser that New York has seen “exponential and devastating” decline over the past four years, citing economic struggles, rising costs and business losses. She called Blakeman “what we need more than anything” and said she believes he is “the answer.” Some outlets noted Messing has also spoken out about antisemitism and attacks on Israel.

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

What happened

Key points

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

  1. Debra Messing endorsed Republican Bruce Blakeman for New York governor over Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul.

    Reported byRight

  2. Messing has previously supported Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and Cynthia Nixon’s 2018 campaign.

    Reported byRight

  3. Messing has publicly criticized President Trump in the past.

    Reported byRight

  4. Messing cited a decline in New York City’s economic and social conditions, saying people and businesses are leaving.

    Reported byRight

  5. Messing made the endorsement at a Manhattan fundraiser for Blakeman and in a video posted to Instagram.

    Reported byRight

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. Townhall reported that Messing’s shift was tied to concerns about antisemitism and attacks on Israel.

    Reported byRight

  2. Fox News reported Messing cited affordability and congestion pricing as factors in her decision.

    Reported byRight

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    No coverage yet

    No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the center

    No coverage yet

    No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

  • the right

    8 outlets

    All five right-leaning outlets frame the story around the surprise of a self-described liberal actress abandoning her party to back a Republican, with some outlets (Daily Wire, RedState) using stronger language like “far-left” and “stunning” while others (Fox, Townhall) focus more directly on the endorsement itself.

    Debra Messing endorses Republican Bruce Blakeman over Gov. Kathy Hochul in New York governor's race
    The Washington TimesRightAll 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.

  • Left

    Has not covered this story.

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right10

    far-left actressAnti-Trumpstaunch criticleftist actress

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded modifier

    far-left actressMore neutral: actress and former gubernatorial candidate

    Applies an ideological label to Cynthia Nixon that goes beyond describing her political positions factually.

    …for Messing, who once stumped for Hillary Clinton for president and donated to far-left actress Cynthia Nixon’s campaign for governor in 2018 and has been, at least until…

    Used byNew York Post (Right)The Daily Wire (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    Anti-TrumpMore neutral: a critic of Trump

    Labels Messing’s political stance as a defining trait before detailing her actual record, framing her negatively from the outset.

    Anti-Trump “Will & Grace” actress Debra Messing is snubbing Democratic incumbent Gov.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    staunch criticMore neutral: had criticized

    Characterizes Messing’s past opposition to Trump with an intensifying label rather than neutral description.

    …Nixon’s campaign for governor in 2018 and has been, at least until recently, a staunch critic of Blakeman-boosting President Trump.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    leftist actressMore neutral: actress and former gubernatorial candidate

    Applies an ideological label to Cynthia Nixon beyond a neutral description of her political record.

    She stumped for Hillary Clinton and even donated to leftist actress Cynthia Nixon's campaign for governor in 2018.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

Show 6 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    stunning endorsementMore neutral: notable endorsement

    Adds dramatic emphasis to the endorsement rather than describing it neutrally.

    But Messing has just made what has to be considered a pretty stunning endorsement in the New York governor's race.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Absolutist framing

    rampant in the Democrat PartyMore neutral: issues some have linked to parts of the Democratic Party

    States as settled fact that antisemitism and criticism of Israel are widespread within an entire political party, a contested characterization.

    …attacks on Israel and rising antisemitism in America, both of which are rampant in the Democrat Party.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    It's so bad thatMore neutral: As a result,

    Adds dramatic emphasis implying severity rather than stating facts neutrally.

    It's so bad that Messing has come out and endorsed Republican Bruce Blakeman for the next governor…

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Delegitimizing label

    Democrat PartyMore neutral: Democratic Party

    Deliberate misnaming used as a slight; the party's name is the Democratic Party.

    …on Israel and rising antisemitism in America, both of which are rampant in the Democrat Party.

    Used byTownhall (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    ditches DemocratMore neutral: breaks from Democrat

    Uses an informal, dismissive verb to describe switching political support rather than a neutral term.

    Debra Messing ditches Democrat for Trump-backed Republican as she sounds alarm over New York

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    NotoriousMore neutral: known for (describe)

    Judgement of reputation as fact.

    Notorious Democrat-backer Debra Messing has endorsed the GOP's Bruce Blakeman, who is running…

    Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

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

0 outlets

No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the center

0 outlets

No center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

From the right

8 outlets

Leads with

  • Messing’s past support for Democratic candidates
  • her criticism of Trump
  • her account of New York’s economic and social decline
  • the surprising or dramatic nature of the switch
See the 8 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Debra Messing endorses Republican Bruce Blakeman over Gov. Kathy Hochul in New York governor's race

    Actress DEBRA MESSING has endorsed Republican Bruce Blakeman over Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in New York's race for governor, a break from her record of backing Democrats.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
  • Breitbart NewsFar Right

    Actress Debra Messing Endorses Republican Bruce Blakeman for New York Governor: 'You Are What We Need'

    Loaded modifier“Notorious”Judgement of reputation as fact.More neutral: known for (describe)Disagree with this highlight? Democrat-backer Debra Messing has endorsed the GOP's Bruce Blakeman, who is running against Democrat incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul for Governor of New York. "You are what we need more than anything," the "Will & Grace" star told the Republican candidate.

    Read at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Debra Messing Loaded verb“ditches Democrat”Uses an informal, dismissive verb to describe switching political support rather than a neutral term.More neutral: breaks from DemocratDisagree with this highlight? for Trump-backed Republican as she sounds alarm over New York

    Debra Messing endorsed Republican Bruce Blakeman for New York governor, citing affordability, congestion pricing and the city's economic decline.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)
  • TownhallFar Right

    Bruce Blakeman Just Got a Massive Endorsement in the New York Governor's Race

    Actress Debra Messing, best known for her role as the titular Grace in NBC's "Will & Grace," is not a Republican by any stretch of the imagination. …

    Read at Townhall (opens in a new tab)
  • RedStateFar Right

    Actress Who's Backed Dems Makes Surprising Endorsement of Republican in Key Race

    "Will and Grace" actress Debra Messing has voted for a bunch of Democrats.

    Read at RedState (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily WireFar Right

    Loaded modifier“Far-Left Actress”Labels Messing with a strong ideological descriptor not clearly supported by the article’s own account of her as a mainstream Democratic supporter.More neutral: Democratic-backing actressDisagree with this highlight? Endorses Republican For Governor Of New York

    Longtime Democrat supporter Debra Messing has broken ranks to support a Republican candidate for governor of New York. The “Will & Grace” actress cited a decline in living conditions in her hometown of Brooklyn as the reason for putting her support behind Bruce Blakeman’s …

    Read at The Daily Wire (opens in a new tab)
  • Just the NewsFar Right

    Liberal actress Debra Messing ditches Hochul for Republican candidate in bid for New York governor

    The New York native said affordability was at the heart of her concerns and noted how many New Yorkers are leaving the state because it has become too expensive to remain.

    Read at Just the News (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRight

    Star Dem-backer Debra Messing endorses GOP’s Bruce Blakeman for NY governor: ‘What we need’

    Loaded modifier“Anti-Trump”Labels Messing’s political stance as a defining trait before detailing her actual record, framing her negatively from the outset.More neutral: a critic of TrumpDisagree with this highlight? “Will & Grace” actress Debra Messing is snubbing Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul and instead backing Republican Bruce Blakeman’s gubernatorial campaign. …

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, 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

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    New York Post, Oct 4, 4:59 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. New York PostRightOct 4, 4:59 PM EDT
  2. The Daily WireFar RightOct 5, 8:00 AM EDT
  3. RedStateFar RightOct 5, 12:40 PM EDT
  4. TownhallFar RightOct 5, 2:45 PM EDT
  5. Fox NewsFar RightOct 5, 7:22 PM EDT
  6. Breitbart NewsFar RightOct 6, 9:10 AM EDT
  7. The Washington TimesRightOct 6, 11:57 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out. Just the News gave only a date, so it is not placed.

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