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Trump ally Kurt Olsen resigns from DOJ ‘grand conspiracy’ probe

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 7 outlets, mostly left-leaning (86%).

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

Kurt Olsen, a lawyer who backed President Trump’s false 2020 election claims and previously served as White House election security czar, resigned Monday from the Justice Department’s “grand conspiracy” investigation in the Southern District of Florida, according to people familiar with the matter. The probe examines whether Obama- and Biden-era officials plotted against Trump. Olsen’s departure follows the earlier exit of Trump ally Joseph diGenova, who had led the inquiry. Several other prosecutors assigned to the office have also left in recent days, though reports differ on the exact number. No charges have been filed in the investigation. Olsen did not respond to requests for comment, and a DOJ spokesperson declined to comment.

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. Kurt Olsen resigned Monday from the DOJ’s “grand conspiracy” investigation in the Southern District of Florida.

    Reported byLeftRight

  2. Olsen previously backed Trump’s false 2020 election claims and served as White House election security czar.

    Reported byLeftRight

  3. Olsen had no prior experience as a DOJ prosecutor before joining the probe.

    Reported byLeft

  4. His resignation follows the earlier departure of Trump ally Joseph diGenova, who had led the investigation.

    Reported byLeftRight

  5. Multiple other prosecutors have also left the Southern District of Florida office; reports differ on the exact count (six or seven per one report, as many as eight per another).

    Reported byLeftRight

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. The investigation, targeting Obama- and Biden-era officials, has not resulted in any charges.

    Reported byLeft

  2. Sources say Olsen was frustrated by DOJ leadership pressuring him to seek indictments before the November midterms.

    Reported byLeft

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The exact number of prosecutors who have left the investigation.

    The Daily Mail reports at least six or seven departures; The New Republic reports as many as eight; ABC News says other line prosecutors departed but notes some were only temporarily assigned.

  • The reason for Olsen’s resignation.

    The Daily Beast reports, citing sources, that Olsen was frustrated by DOJ pressure to secure indictments before the midterms; other outlets, including The Independent, say he gave no public reason and did not respond to requests for comment.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    6 outlets · 2 opinion

    Left-side outlets, ranging from mainstream wire-style reports to opinion-inflected pieces, describe the probe as “crumbling,” “falling apart,” or in “crisis,” with some outlets like the Daily Beast and New Republic using sharper language than the Times, Post, CBS or ABC.

    Loaded modifier“Election denier”Compact label; state what the person actually claimed.More neutral: who says the 2020 election was stolen, who disputes the resultsDisagree with this highlight? Kurt Olsen steps down from "grand conspiracy" case
    CBS NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • 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

    1 outlet

    The single right-side outlet frames the departures as a leadership crisis and “mass exodus,” emphasizing internal DOJ dysfunction rather than the substance of the investigation.

    Trump 'grand conspiracy' Sensational language“case in crisis”Declares the investigation to be in crisis as a settled characterization rather than attributing this assessment to a source.More neutral: case faces setbacksDisagree with this highlight? as lawyers defy Todd Blanche and Sensational language“QUIT in mass exodus”Frames the resignations dramatically as a ‘mass exodus’ without establishing the total scale.More neutral: prosecutors resignDisagree with this highlight?
    Daily MailRightAll 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.

  • Left16

    so-calledelection denierthe president’s desire to take revengeso-called “grand conspiracy” investigation

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right4

    so-calleddelivering a major blowcase in crisisQUIT in mass exodus

In the outlets’ own words

  • Delegitimizing label

    so-calledMore neutral: (omit)

    Sneer quotes in word form.

    …Trump loyalist Kurt Olsen and at least six other prosecutors have departed the so-called 'grand conspiracy' investigation in the Southern District of Florida - delivering a…

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)The Washington Post (Left)The Independent (Left)ABC News (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    election denierMore neutral: who says the 2020 election was stolen or who disputes the results

    Compact label; state what the person actually claimed.

    Kurt Olsen, an election denier who attempted to overturn the 2020 election results in favor of President Trump,…

    Used byCBS News (Left)The Independent (Left)ABC News (Left)

  • Sensational language

    delivering a major blowMore neutral: adding to the setbacks

    Characterizes the impact of the resignations in dramatic terms rather than describing the effect factually.

    …'grand conspiracy' investigation in the Southern District of Florida - delivering a major blow to the Justice Department's long-running probe.

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Sensational language

    case in crisisMore neutral: case faces setbacks

    Declares the investigation to be in crisis as a settled characterization rather than attributing this assessment to a source.

    Trump 'grand conspiracy' case in crisis as lawyers defy Todd Blanche and QUIT in mass exodus

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

Show 15 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    QUIT in mass exodusMore neutral: prosecutors resign

    Frames the resignations dramatically as a ‘mass exodus’ without establishing the total scale.

    Trump 'grand conspiracy' case in crisis as lawyers defy Todd Blanche and QUIT in mass exodus

    Used byDaily Mail (Right)

  • Absolutist framing

    the president’s desire to take revengeMore neutral: the administration’s effort to investigate officials who scrutinized him

    Presents the president’s motive as an established fact rather than an inference or attributed claim.

    …to the most sweeping effort by the Justice Department to fulfill the president’s desire to take revenge against the federal officials who have investigated him.

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

  • Delegitimizing label

    so-called “grand conspiracy” investigationMore neutral: the “grand conspiracy” investigation

    The phrase ‘so-called’ casts doubt on the legitimacy of the investigation’s official name without further explanation.

    …worked as Trump’s election security czar, resigned from the so-called “grand conspiracy” investigation Monday.

    Used byThe Washington Post (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    meandering probeMore neutral: lengthy probe

    Passes judgement on the investigation’s competence rather than describing its pace factually

    …from the so-called "grand conspiracy" investigation marks further upheaval for a meandering probe that has proceeded in fits and starts while prosecutors pursue an ill-defined…

    Used byThe Independent (Left)

  • Delegitimizing label

    ill-defined right-wing theoryMore neutral: disputed theory

    Characterizes the investigation’s underlying premise as illegitimate rather than simply describing it as disputed or unproven

    …probe that has proceeded in fits and starts while prosecutors pursue an ill-defined right-wing theory of a plot against Trump.

    Used byThe Independent (Left)

  • Delegitimizing label

    deep stateMore neutral: career officials or the civil service

    Implies a coordinated conspiracy inside government without naming who or what.

    Trump deep state conspiracy probe crumbles as top loyalist and election denier quits DOJ

    Used byThe Independent (Left)

  • Dehumanizing label

    attack dogsMore neutral: loyal aides

    Reduces Olsen to a pejorative animal metaphor rather than describing his role factually

    One of Donald Trump’s most faithful attack dogs has suddenly quit the team responsible for a “grand conspiracy” probe of the…

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Twisted Revenge PlotMore neutral: DOJ investigation

    Frames the investigation with dramatic, judgmental language rather than describing it neutrally

    Trump’s Twisted Revenge Plot Plunges Into Crisis

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Plunges Into CrisisMore neutral: faces new departures

    Exaggerates the severity of the departures with dramatic phrasing

    Trump’s Twisted Revenge Plot Plunges Into Crisis

    Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

  • Loaded verb

    spell doomMore neutral: raise doubts about

    Presents the outcome of the departures as a certainty rather than an analysis

    The departures spell doom for the investigation, which was looking into officials from the Obama and Biden…

    Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)

  • Sensational language

    Falling Apart at the SeamsMore neutral: facing setbacks

    Uses dramatic idiom to characterize the probe’s status rather than a neutral description

    Trump’s “Grand Conspiracy” Probe Is Falling Apart at the Seams

    Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    controversial conspiracy probeMore neutral: the investigation

    Labels the investigation as controversial without attributing that characterization to a source

    Another Trump loyalist tasked to help lead a controversial conspiracy probe targeting President Trump's political foes has resigned from the DOJ,…

    Used byABC News (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    buckling under the weight of strategic errorsMore neutral: facing strategic setbacks

    Frames the probe’s difficulties in dramatic, judgmental terms rather than neutral description

    It’s buckling under the weight of strategic errors, staff turnover, and, most of all, the facts.

    Used byThe Atlantic (Left)

  • Sensational language

    Collapsing ProbeMore neutral: Struggling Probe

    Presents the investigation’s failure as a settled fact rather than a contested assessment

    The DOJ’s Collapsing Probe Into a Supposed Anti-Trump Conspiracy

    Used byThe Atlantic (Left)

  • Delegitimizing label

    Supposed Anti-Trump ConspiracyMore neutral: Alleged Anti-Trump Conspiracy

    Uses “supposed” to dismiss the premise of the investigation as unfounded

    The DOJ’s Collapsing Probe Into a Supposed Anti-Trump Conspiracy

    Used byThe Atlantic (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

6 outlets · 2 opinion

Leads with

  • Olsen’s history of election denial
  • lack of charges after months of investigation
  • pattern of staff departures including diGenova
  • characterization of the probe as retaliatory

Leaves out

  • DOJ’s own explanation for the departures, if any, beyond anonymous sourcing

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

See the 8 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • CBS NewsLeft

    Loaded modifier“Election denier”Compact label; state what the person actually claimed.More neutral: who says the 2020 election was stolen, who disputes the resultsDisagree with this highlight? Kurt Olsen steps down from "grand conspiracy" case

    Olsen notified the Justice Department that he was departing the case in an email Monday.

    Read at CBS News (opens in a new tab)
    1 more from CBS News
  • ABC NewsLeft

    Another Trump loyalist helping lead probe into Trump investigations resigns

    Another Trump loyalist tasked to help lead a Loaded modifier“controversial conspiracy probe”Labels the investigation as controversial without attributing that characterization to a sourceMore neutral: the investigationDisagree with this highlight? targeting President Trump's political foes has resigned from the DOJ, sources say.

    Read at ABC News (opens in a new tab)
  • The IndependentLeft

    Trump Delegitimizing label“deep state”Implies a coordinated conspiracy inside government without naming who or what.More neutral: career officials, the civil service, intelligence agenciesDisagree with this highlight? conspiracy probe crumbles as top loyalist and Loaded modifier“election denier”Compact label; state what the person actually claimed.More neutral: who says the 2020 election was stolen, who disputes the resultsDisagree with this highlight? quits DOJ

    A lawyer who backed President Donald Trump’s false 2020 election claims has resigned from a Justice Department investigation

    Read at The Independent (opens in a new tab)
    1 more from The Independent
  • The New RepublicFar Left

    Trump’s “Grand Conspiracy” Probe Is Sensational language“Falling Apart at the Seams”Uses dramatic idiom to characterize the probe’s status rather than a neutral descriptionMore neutral: facing setbacksDisagree with this highlight?

    Another one of the people President Donald Trump hired to investigate the cases against him has quit. Kurt Olsen resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida Monday after spending months working on the probe into Trump’s classified documents …

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

    DOJ probe into Trump foes sees another prominent departure

    Kurt Olsen, who previously worked as Trump’s election security czar, resigned from the Delegitimizing label“so-called “grand conspiracy” investigation”The phrase ‘so-called’ casts doubt on the legitimacy of the investigation’s official name without further explanation.More neutral: the “grand conspiracy” investigationDisagree with this highlight? Monday.

    Read at The Washington Post (opens in a new tab)
  • The New York TimesLeft

    Second Prosecutor Quits Trump’s ‘Grand Conspiracy’ Case

    The resignation adds to the setbacks to the most sweeping effort by the Justice Department to fulfill Absolutist framing“the president’s desire to take revenge”Presents the president’s motive as an established fact rather than an inference or attributed claim.More neutral: the administration’s effort to investigate officials who scrutinized himDisagree with this highlight? against the federal officials who have investigated him.

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

    The DOJ’s Sensational language“Collapsing Probe”Presents the investigation’s failure as a settled fact rather than a contested assessmentMore neutral: Struggling ProbeDisagree with this highlight? Into a Delegitimizing label“Supposed Anti-Trump Conspiracy”Uses “supposed” to dismiss the premise of the investigation as unfoundedMore neutral: Alleged Anti-Trump ConspiracyDisagree with this highlight?

    It’s Loaded modifier“buckling under the weight of strategic errors”Frames the probe’s difficulties in dramatic, judgmental terms rather than neutral descriptionMore neutral: facing strategic setbacksDisagree with this highlight?, staff turnover, and, most of all, the facts.

    Read at The Atlantic (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily BeastFar LeftOpinion

    Trump’s Sensational language“Twisted Revenge Plot”Frames the investigation with dramatic, judgmental language rather than describing it neutrallyMore neutral: DOJ investigationDisagree with this highlight? Sensational language“Plunges Into Crisis”Exaggerates the severity of the departures with dramatic phrasingMore neutral: faces new departuresDisagree with this highlight?

    One of Donald Trump’s most faithful attack dogs has suddenly quit the team responsible for a “grand conspiracy” probe of the president’s political enemies. Kurt Olsen, 64, resigned from the Southern District of Florida investigation on Monday. …

    Read at The Daily Beast (opens in a new tab)

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

1 outlet

Leads with

  • scale of prosecutor departures
  • conflict with DOJ leadership
  • threat to the probe’s viability

Leaves out

  • Olsen’s election-denial background
  • lack of prior prosecutorial experience

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

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • Daily MailRight

    Trump 'grand conspiracy' Sensational language“case in crisis”Declares the investigation to be in crisis as a settled characterization rather than attributing this assessment to a source.More neutral: case faces setbacksDisagree with this highlight? as lawyers defy Todd Blanche and Sensational language“QUIT in mass exodus”Frames the resignations dramatically as a ‘mass exodus’ without establishing the total scale.More neutral: prosecutors resignDisagree with this highlight?

    Trump loyalist Kurt Olsen has resigned from the 'grand conspiracy' probe in Miami, along with at least six other prosecutors assigned to the investigation.

    Read at Daily Mail (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

    21 min later

    Its first report, Sep 28, 6:42 PM EDT

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    First to report

    Daily Mail, Sep 28, 6:21 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Daily MailRightSep 28, 6:21 PM EDT
  2. CBS NewsLeftSep 28, 6:42 PM EDT
  3. The New York TimesLeftSep 28, 7:59 PM EDT
  4. The Washington PostLeftSep 28, 8:38 PM EDT
  5. The IndependentLeftSep 29, 5:18 AM EDT
  6. The New RepublicFar LeftSep 29, 9:17 AM EDT
  7. ABC NewsLeftSep 29, 1:19 PM EDT

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

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