PoliticsDeveloping
Rolling Stone publishes new audio of Ken Paxton on Abbott and Texas GOP campaign
By Mantle News
Coverage spectrum
Covered by 4 outlets, all left-leaning.
5 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias
The Daily Beast, The New Republic, Rolling Stone and HuffPost report new audio published by Rolling Stone in which Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton is heard discussing his campaign with lobbyists and donors at a private fundraiser. According to the outlets, Paxton says Governor Greg Abbott is “struggling” in his reelection bid and predicts Republicans will likely lose seats in the state legislature. The recording also has him saying his campaign lacks money to counter Democratic attack ads. Paxton told Fox News on Sunday that the clips do not reflect what he meant and that he supports President Trump. The New Republic reports this as one of five audio leaks from the same campaign event.
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.
Rolling Stone published new audio of Ken Paxton, the Republican Senate nominee in Texas, speaking to lobbyists and donors at a private fundraiser.
One side only: the leftReported byFar Left3See the outletsHide the outlets
- Far Left
- Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, HuffPost
In the audio, Paxton said Governor Greg Abbott is “struggling” in his reelection bid.
One side only: the leftReported byFar Left3See the outletsHide the outlets
- Far Left
- Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, HuffPost
In the audio, Paxton predicted that Republicans will likely lose seats in the state legislature.
One side only: the leftReported byFar Left2See the outletsHide the outlets
- Far Left
- The Daily Beast, HuffPost
In the audio, Paxton said his campaign lacks money to counter Democratic attack ads.
One outletThe Daily Beast· Far Left
Paxton told Fox News on Sunday that the clips do not reflect what he meant and that he loves President Trump.
One side only: the leftReported byFar Left2See the outletsHide the outlets
- Far Left
- The Daily Beast, The New Republic
What is contested
Where accounts differ
Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.
The recordings accurately show what Paxton meant.
Paxton told Fox News the clips do not reflect what he meant; the outlets report the audio as his own remarks without disputing the recordings.
How each side tells it
Compare views
All four outlets, all rated Far Left, report Paxton’s remarks on Abbott, the state GOP and his fundraising in Rolling Stone’s audio, and they frame the story as a candidate repeatedly caught and embarrassed by leaks.
the left
4 outlets
Headlines present Paxton as caught and cornered by damning, embarrassing leaks, using words such as embattled, pathetic and caught. All sampled left coverage comes from Far Left outlets, so this describes that end of the side only.
Must-Win MAGA Candidate Loaded verb“Cornered”Presents the candidate as trapped, a judgement the headline’s facts do not establish.More neutral: Faces questions overDisagree with this highlight? on Flood of Loaded modifier“Embarrassing”Labels the leaks as embarrassing, a judgement about their effect rather than a description of them.More neutral: LeakedDisagree with this highlight? Leaks
The Daily BeastFar LeftAll 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
No coverage yet
No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
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.
Left14
Embattledbegging voterstrashingCornered
Center
Has not covered this story.
Right
Has not covered this story.
In the outlets’ own words
Loaded modifier
EmbattledMore neutral: Republican Senate candidate
Describes the candidate as under attack, a label that pre-judges his standing.
Embattled Senate candidate Ken Paxton is begging voters to ignore audio leaks of him trashing…
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Loaded verb
begging votersMore neutral: asking voters
Says he pleads with voters, a judgement of his tone that the reported remarks do not show.
Embattled Senate candidate Ken Paxton is begging voters to ignore audio leaks of him trashing Donald Trump that have helped throw his…
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Loaded verb
trashingMore neutral: criticizing
Characterizes the recorded remarks as insults without quoting them.
Embattled Senate candidate Ken Paxton is begging voters to ignore audio leaks of him trashing Donald Trump that have helped throw his campaign into crisis.
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Loaded verb
CorneredMore neutral: Faces questions over
Presents the candidate as trapped, a judgement the headline’s facts do not establish.
Must-Win MAGA Candidate Cornered on Flood of Embarrassing Leaks
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Show 10 more phrasesShow fewer
Loaded modifier
EmbarrassingMore neutral: Leaked
Labels the leaks as embarrassing, a judgement about their effect rather than a description of them.
Must-Win MAGA Candidate Cornered on Flood of Embarrassing Leaks
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Loaded modifier
PatheticMore neutral: Response
Passes a judgement on the candidate’s defense rather than describing its content.
Ken Paxton Offers Pathetic Defense for Damning Leaked Audio of Him
Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)
Sensational language
DamningMore neutral: Leaked
Calls the audio incriminating, a judgement the headline does not support with its content.
Ken Paxton Offers Pathetic Defense for Damning Leaked Audio of Him
Used byThe New Republic (Far Left)
Loaded verb
ventsMore neutral: speaks
Presents his remarks as complaining, a judgement of tone the description does not support by quotation.
The Republican nominee for Senate vents to lobbyists in recordings obtained by Rolling Stone
Used byRolling Stone (Far Left)
Loaded verb
made excusesMore neutral: explained
States in the outlet’s own voice that he made excuses, a judgement of his explanation.
…Senate candidate warned that Governor is struggling in his bid for reelection, made excuses for his own campaign issues, and conceded that Republicans will likely lose seats…
Used byRolling Stone (Far Left)
Loaded verb
GripesMore neutral: Discusses
Describes his remarks in a dismissive way, a judgement of tone rather than a report of content.
‘Abbott Is Struggling’: Ken Paxton Gripes About Texas GOP and Campaign Woes in New Leaked Audio
Used byRolling Stone (Far Left)
Loaded verb
bemoaningMore neutral: saying
Presents his remarks about money as grumbling, a characterization of tone rather than of what he said.
New audio obtained by Rolling Stone captured the embattled Texas Senate candidate bemoaning his lack of money to counter Democratic attack ads, saying Republican Governor Greg…
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Loaded verb
Caught SlightingMore neutral: Ken Paxton comments on Greg Abbott
“Caught” implies Paxton was exposed doing wrong, and “slighting” describes his remarks as disrespect, a judgement the audio does not settle.
Trump’s Must-Win MAGA Candidate Caught Slighting Top Republican
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Loaded verb
admittedMore neutral: said
Presents a remark as a confession, implying wrongdoing; the sentence reports what he said.
Senate, privately admitted last month that Gov.
Used byHuffPost (Far Left)
Sensational language
Damning LeakMore neutral: new leak
Calls the leak damning before readers have judged the audio.
Ken Paxton Names The Other Big Texas Republican Who's 'Struggling' In Another Damning Leak
Used byHuffPost (Far Left)
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 outletsLeads with
- Paxton’s remarks on Abbott and the state GOP
- Paxton’s campaign money problems
- Paxton as embattled and exposed by repeated leaks
- Paxton’s comments on Trump
See the 4 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
- HuffPostFar Left
Ken Paxton Names The Other Big Texas Republican Who's 'Struggling' In Another Sensational language“Damning Leak”Calls the leak damning before readers have judged the audio.More neutral: new leakDisagree with this highlight?
The GOP Senate candidate predicted how the party will fare in the state legislature in the audio clip shared by Rolling Stone.
- The Daily BeastFar Left
Trump’s Must-Win MAGA Candidate Loaded verb“Caught Slighting”“Caught” implies Paxton was exposed doing wrong, and “slighting” describes his remarks as disrespect, a judgement the audio does not settle.More neutral: Ken Paxton comments on Greg AbbottDisagree with this highlight? Top Republican
MAGA candidate Ken Paxton has once again been caught on tape complaining about his campaign woes even as the race to save him becomes one of the most expensive in history. …
1 more from The Daily Beast
- Rolling StoneFar Left
‘Abbott Is Struggling’: Ken Paxton Loaded verb“Gripes”Describes his remarks in a dismissive way, a judgement of tone rather than a report of content.More neutral: DiscussesDisagree with this highlight? About Texas GOP and Campaign Woes in New Leaked Audio
The Republican nominee for Senate Loaded verb“vents”Presents his remarks as complaining, a judgement of tone the description does not support by quotation.More neutral: speaksDisagree with this highlight? to lobbyists in recordings obtained by Rolling Stone
- The New RepublicFar Left
Ken Paxton Offers Loaded modifier“Pathetic”Passes a judgement on the candidate’s defense rather than describing its content.More neutral: ResponseDisagree with this highlight? Defense for Sensational language“Damning”Calls the audio incriminating, a judgement the headline does not support with its content.More neutral: LeakedDisagree with this highlight? Leaked Audio of Him
Texas attorney general and Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton was asked to explain the constant, controversial leaks coming from a September campaign event. He doesn’t think they matter. …
From the center
0 outletsNo center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
From the right
0 outletsNo right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
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
First to report
The Daily Beast, Oct 12, 9:48 AM EDT
Center
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Right
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
- The Daily BeastFar LeftOct 12, 9:48 AM EDT
- The New RepublicFar LeftOct 12, 11:12 AM EDT
- Rolling StoneFar LeftOct 14, 6:00 AM EDT
- HuffPostFar LeftOct 14, 1:19 PM EDT
Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.
Read next
More on Politics
PoliticsBreaking
Protesters are removed from Trump rally in South Carolina after a supporter hits one
3 outlets
More on Politics
PoliticsDeveloping
Musk backs Paxton in Texas Senate race as Talarico criticizes his spending
3 outlets
Next in today’s stories
WorldDeveloping
Witkoff meets Putin in St. Petersburg; Kremlin says it is ready for three-way talks
17 outlets
Next in today’s stories
WorldBreaking
Russia frees US citizen Stephen Hubbard during US envoy Witkoff’s visit
33 outlets
A story one side mostly skipped
PoliticsBreaking
Polling firm Wedgewood admits its midterm polls were fabricated
14 outletsQuiet on the left