Peltola campaign denies NYT report it recruited a second Dan Sullivan in Alaska

scandalMore neutral: controversy

Calls the matter a scandal before any finding of wrongdoing.

The developments in the Alaska scandal surrounding the curious Senate candidacy of Dan J.

Used byRedState (Far Right)Daily Mail (Right)The Federalist (Far Right)

dirty trickMore neutral: effort to recruit a same-name candidate

Calling the recruiting a dirty trick presumes intent and wrongdoing before the facts are established.

The dirty trick first appeared to fall apart when Alaska director of elections kicked the fake Dan…

Used byHot Air (Far Right)Breitbart News (Far Right)

RevealedMore neutral: Reported

Presents an allegation from a single report as proven fact.

Secret Scheme To Sabotage GOP Senator Revealed After Democrat Denied Involvement: REPORT

Used byThe Daily Caller (Far Right)Daily Mail (Right)

exposedMore neutral: reported

Presents an allegation from a report as proven.

Democrats' secret sabotage plot to seize Alaska Senate seat exposed: Operatives hunted for another Dan Sullivan to trick voters and even plotted to…

Used byDaily Mail (Right)Fox News (Far Right)

To Confuse VotersMore neutral: Mary Peltola’s Campaign Reportedly Recruited a Second Dan Sullivan

States a contested motive as established fact, with no evidence of intent cited in the supplied text.

To Confuse Voters, Mary Peltola's Campaign Recruited a Second Dan Sullivan

Used byReason (Right)New York Post (Right)

Decoy DanMore neutral: the second Dan Sullivan

The label was coined by Republicans and assumes the candidate was placed as a decoy; the outlet uses it in its own voice.

Alaska’s Mary Peltola Scrambles After Bombshell Report Exposes Democrat ‘Decoy Dan’ Scheme

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)The Federalist (Far Right)

dodgesMore neutral: declines to say

The verb presents a declined answer as evasion in the outlet’s own voice.

Tim Scott dodges on whether he would accept the results of the Alaska Senate race

Used byNBC News (Left)The Hill (Center)

castigateMore neutral: criticize

The verb adds a judgement of condemnation beyond reporting what the article says was done.

Senate race, to castigate the Democrat skullduggery of running a fake “Republican”, ‘Decoy’ Dan J.

Used byRedState (Far Right)

fake “Republican”More neutral: a candidate listed as a Republican

Calling the candidate fake asserts the conclusion of a disputed claim about the candidacy.

Senate race, to castigate the Democrat skullduggery of running a fake “Republican”, ‘Decoy’ Dan J.

Used byRedState (Far Right)

Democrat shenanigansMore neutral: Democratic campaign tactics

“Shenanigans” characterizes the conduct as improper without establishing the facts.

In 2026, unfortunately, these kinds of Democrat shenanigans are not unique.

Used byRedState (Far Right)

Democrat SkullduggeryMore neutral: Democratic campaign effort

“Skullduggery” asserts secret wrongdoing as established fact, while the coverage supports only an allegation of recruiting.

Democrat Skullduggery in the Senate Showdown in The Last Frontier (Alaska)

Used byRedState (Far Right)

alarmingMore neutral: a New York Times headline

Adds alarm to a description of a headline that the writer says is misleading rather than false.

“Justice Department Seeks to Block Alaska Vote if Republican Loses,” stated an alarming New York Times headline on Friday.

Used byThe Free Press (Right)

Trying to RigMore neutral: Who is accused of manipulating the Alaska Senate race?

Accuses a candidate or party of rigging an election, a charge the coverage disputes rather than establishes.

Who’s Really Trying to Rig the Alaska Senate Race?

Used byThe Free Press (Right)

spoil the contestMore neutral: to draw votes from the contest

Spoil assigns a purpose of sabotage that the reported facts do not state.

…to recruit a second Republican candidate named "Dan Sullivan" in a bid to spoil the contest between herself and Sen.

Used byJust the News (Far Right)

to spoilMore neutral: to draw votes from

Spoil assigns a purpose of sabotage that the reported facts do not state.

Peltola campaign recruited 2nd Dan Sullivan to spoil Senate race: NYT

Used byJust the News (Far Right)

RiggingMore neutral: recruiting candidates to split votes

The word asserts illegal manipulation of an election as fact, while the campaign denies involvement.

Legacy Media Exposes How Dems Are Rigging Pivotal Senate Election

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

Secret EffortMore neutral: Effort

Calls a recruiting effort secret, a characterization the excerpt does not establish from records.

Inside Democrats’ Secret Effort to Stack Alaska’s Ballot

Used byThe New York Times (Left)

Secret PlanMore neutral: Plan

Calls a recruiting effort a secret plan, a characterization the excerpt does not establish from records.

Democrats' Secret Plan to Stack Alaska Senate Ballot With Spoilers

Used byRedState (Far Right)

siphon votesMore neutral: draw votes

Siphon implies taking votes away improperly, while draw describes the same effort neutrally.

…with operatives trying to recruit spoiler candidates into Alaska's Senate race to siphon votes from Republican Sen.

Used byThe Washington Times (Right)

The plotMore neutral: The effort

Plot implies a secret scheme, while the paragraph describes an effort without a finding of concealment.

The plot, beginning in the summer of 2025, involved Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic…

Used byThe Daily Signal (Far Right)

She KnewMore neutral: Ex-Peltola aide says Peltola knew about recruiting the other Dan Sullivan

The headline states as settled fact an accusation that the campaign denies and that rests on one former aide's account.

Ex-Peltola Aide: She Knew About Recruiting the ‘Other Dan Sullivan’

Used byThe Daily Signal (Far Right)

a nobodyMore neutral: a little-known candidate

Dismisses a candidate with a derogatory label that does not bear on the facts of the race.

Sullivan is a nobody who suddenly decided to run for Senate.

Used byHot Air (Far Right)

Evidence Indicates Democrats IntentionallyMore neutral: Reports Say Democratic Operatives Recruited

States as established that Democrats acted intentionally, while the description says the operatives only reportedly acted.

Breaking: Evidence Indicates Democrats Intentionally 'Stacked' the Ballot in Key Senate Race

Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

plotted to sabotageMore neutral: recruited candidates to run in the race

Assigns a sabotage motive to the campaign, a characterization the report does not establish.

Mary Peltola’s campaign reportedly plotted to sabotage Republican Alaska Sen.

Used byThe Daily Caller (Far Right)

SabotageMore neutral: to affect the race

Characterizes recruitment of candidates as sabotage before intent is established by the coverage.

Secret Scheme To Sabotage GOP Senator Revealed After Democrat Denied Involvement: REPORT

Used byThe Daily Caller (Far Right)

bizarre battlegroundMore neutral: contested race

Adds a dramatic characterization of the race that the facts do not require.

…against Democrat Mary Peltola and a name double Dan Sullivan, has become a bizarre battleground for political power.

Used byDaily Mail (Right)

revealed that the allegations are trueMore neutral: reported allegations that the campaign was involved

Presents contested allegations as confirmed fact, while the Peltola campaign denies involvement.

…him 'Decoy Dan' – and a bombshell report from The New York Times now revealed that the allegations are true.

Used byDaily Mail (Right)

sabotage plotMore neutral: alleged effort to recruit candidates

Presents an allegation of intent as an established plot.

Democrats' secret sabotage plot to seize Alaska Senate seat exposed: Operatives hunted for another Dan Sullivan to…

Used byDaily Mail (Right)

huntedMore neutral: sought

Gives the recruitment a predatory tone not used in the report’s own description.

Democrats' secret sabotage plot to seize Alaska Senate seat exposed: Operatives hunted for another Dan Sullivan to trick voters and even plotted to create a MAGA party

Used byDaily Mail (Right)

to trick votersMore neutral: that could confuse voters

States the intent to deceive voters as fact rather than as an allegation.

…to seize Alaska Senate seat exposed: Operatives hunted for another Dan Sullivan to trick voters and even plotted to create a MAGA party

Used byDaily Mail (Right)

phony RepublicanMore neutral: a candidate with the same name as the incumbent

Calling the candidate phony is a judgement in the outlet’s own voice, while the reporting describes a candidate with the same name.

‘Do we have a scheme for you’: Democrats recruited a phony Republican, report says

Used byStraight Arrow News (Center)

confirmsMore neutral: reports

Says the Times investigation proves the link, when the excerpt reports an investigation's findings that are still contested.

An investigation by the New York Times confirms something that’s been widely suspected but never proven: that Democrats were behind a…

Used byCNN (Left)

widely suspected but never provenMore neutral: that has been alleged by some observers

Asserts a suspicion held by unnamed people as common knowledge without naming who holds it.

An investigation by the New York Times confirms something that’s been widely suspected but never proven: that Democrats were behind a potential spoiler candidate in Alaska —…

Used byCNN (Left)

blatant election meddlingMore neutral: an effort to recruit a candidate with the same name

It presents the Times report’s contested reading as settled fact in the outlet’s own voice.

Nice of @nytimes to finally do some real journalism and report this blatant election meddling ONE WEEK before the midterms.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

trying to trick AlaskansMore neutral: trying to get Alaskans to vote for a candidate with the same name

It asserts an intent to deceive voters as established fact in the outlet’s own voice.

…MONTHS ago when Townhall broke the news that Mary Peltola's campaign was trying to trick Alaskans into voting for the WRONG Dan Sullivan?

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

I’m shocked, shocked!More neutral: The report says

The exclamation performs surprise and mockery rather than reporting what the report says.

I’m shocked, shocked! A new report confirms the suspicion that a lefty “Republican” with the same…

Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

leftyMore neutral: Democrat-backing

The label attaches a political leaning to the candidate in the writer’s own voice, pre-judging him.

A new report confirms the suspicion that a lefty “Republican” with the same name as the current Sen.

Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

The intention seemed obviousMore neutral: The apparent intention was

Presents a contested motive as obvious rather than as what the reporting alleges.

The intention seemed obvious: The false Sullivan is trying to siphon off some votes from the real…

Used byReason (Right)

The false SullivanMore neutral: The second Dan Sullivan

Calls the candidate false, a judgement about his standing and intent that the reporting does not establish.

The intention seemed obvious: The false Sullivan is trying to siphon off some votes from the real Sullivan in hopes of benefiting…

Used byReason (Right)

credibly accusedMore neutral: accused

Treats an allegation as credible before the campaign’s denial is weighed.

Democrat Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign has been credibly accused of engaging in a scheme to unseat Alaska Sen.

Used byTheBlaze (Far Right)

purportedly exposingMore neutral: reporting

Pairs a hedge with a verb that presents the report’s findings as revealed, so the sentence reads as both doubted and proven.

…campaign has denied allegations stemming from a detailed New York Times report purportedly exposing that her campaign staff and allied operatives spent months working to recruit a…

Used byOne America News (Far Right)

claimingMore neutral: reporting

Suggests the report’s assertions are doubtful without giving evidence against them.

Alaska Senate race: Peltola’s campaign denies NYT report claiming her staff and allied operatives worked to recruit namesake spoiler candidate

Used byOne America News (Far Right)

trick Alaskan votersMore neutral: to get voters to pick the other candidate

“Trick” asserts an intent to deceive that the reported evidence does not establish.

…point coming from The New York Times story about the elaborate scheme to trick Alaskan voters into voting for the wrong Dan Sullivan.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

fake MAGA partyMore neutral: a party presented as MAGA-aligned

Labels a possible party as fake and MAGA-linked, a judgement the excerpt hedges only with ‘possibly’.

…well, along with a lengthy communications stream about also possibly funding a fake MAGA party to further split support.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

shambolicMore neutral: disorganized

Calls Alaska’s campaigns chaotic as a judgement, without evidence given in the excerpt.

With how shambolic Alaska runs its campaigns, this was the state to do it.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

Fake Dan Sullivan StuntMore neutral: the second Dan Sullivan candidacy

“Fake” and “stunt” present the second candidacy as a deliberate trick before the coverage establishes intent.

CNN Panel Runs Spin on the Dems' Fake Dan Sullivan Stunt in Alaska.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

liberal mediaMore neutral: name the outlet

Dismisses reporting by presumed politics rather than by evidence.

Here’s a commandment everyone should learn, recite, and remember: the liberal media are wrong about everything.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

wrong about everythingMore neutral: has been wrong on some stories

States as a universal rule that the media are wrong on every subject, which no evidence supports.

…everyone should learn, recite, and remember: the liberal media are wrong about everything.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

everyone knowsMore neutral: a position the author believes is untrue

Presents as universally known that a media position is untrue, a contested claim presented as settled.

Anytime this industry takes a firm stand that everyone knows is facially untrue, they get a face-full of buckshot.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

face-full of buckshotMore neutral: were criticized sharply

A violent image used for criticism of coverage adds drama without adding fact.

…takes a firm stand that everyone knows is facially untrue, they get a face-full of buckshot.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

damningMore neutral: detailed

Adds the author’s judgement of the story’s force without stating the evidence in the excerpt.

The New York Times ran a lengthy, damning story about the election games Democrats are playing in Alaska, using Decoy Dan…

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

Decoy Dan SullivanMore neutral: the other Dan Sullivan

A coined label that presumes the namesake candidate is a decoy, which is the point in dispute.

…damning story about the election games Democrats are playing in Alaska, using Decoy Dan Sullivan to siphon support from incumbent Republican Sen.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

seizes onMore neutral: responds to

Seizes on implies opportunism beyond reporting Trump’s demand.

Trump seizes on 'fake' Dan Sullivan report, calls for Peltola's removal from Alaska ballot

Used byThe Washington Times (Right)

secretly recruitedMore neutral: recruited, according to the New York Times report

It states the New York Times allegation as established fact in the outlet’s own voice.

…attacks on Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola following a news report that her allies secretly recruited candidates to join the state’s US Senate race in order to dilute support for…

Used byBloomberg (Left)

almost certainly no coincidenceMore neutral: the article notes a second Dan Sullivan is now on the ballot

Presents a contested motive as settled without evidence in the text.

…to run against the incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan, and, in what is almost certainly no coincidence, there is another Dan Sullivan now on Alaska's 2026 midterm election…

Used byRedState (Far Right)

Unleashes BroadsideMore neutral: calls for

Describes a verbal attack in combative terms beyond the reported demand.

Trump Unleashes Broadside at Peltola After NYTimes Spoiler Report

Used byRedState (Far Right)

blastingMore neutral: criticizing

Blasting adds more drama than the reported criticism.

Republicans are blasting Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola (D) over reports her campaign recruited one of…

Used byThe Hill (Center)

ripMore neutral: criticize

Rip adds more drama than reporting that Republicans criticized her.

Republicans rip Peltola over report her campaign recruited second Sullivan

Used byThe Hill (Center)

FakeMore neutral: second Dan Sullivan

Calls the named candidate fake in the outlet’s own voice, which states as fact a conclusion the reporting presents as an allegation.

Trump: Democrats' Fake Alaska Senate Candidate Scheme 'A Fraud on the American Public'

Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

was revealedMore neutral: was reported

Revealed presents the New York Times account as established fact, when the coverage attributes it to the paper’s reporting.

…Mary Peltola to drop out of the race and be criminally prosecuted after it was revealed that her allies were behind an effort to bring a candidate into the race that had…

Used byNew York Post (Right)

in a bid to confuse votersMore neutral: which Republicans have called a ploy to split votes

States a contested motive as settled fact in the outlet’s own voice.

…a second Dan Sullivan to run against Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan in a bid to confuse voters.

Used byPBS NewsHour (Center)

trick votersMore neutral: recruit candidates to split votes

Ascribes deceptive intent to the recruitment in the outlet’s own voice.

Trying to trick voters isn’t nice.

Used bySlate (Far Left)

bandana-wearing gadflyMore neutral: candidate Gerald Heikes

Descriptive label that mocks a candidate’s appearance and pre-judges him, unrelated to the allegation.

Mary Peltola, a bandana-wearing gadfly named Gerald Heikes, and … another Dan Sullivan.

Used bySlate (Far Left)

bombshell orderMore neutral: order

Manufactures drama around a demand that the excerpt describes plainly.

The bombshell order follows a report by The New York Times that revealed Peltola’s campaign staff was…

Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

Bonkers DemandMore neutral: Demand

Adjective that dismisses the demand in the outlet’s own voice rather than describing it.

Trump Makes Bonkers Demand in Revenge for Dem Election Stunt

Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

RevengeMore neutral: after

Assigns a motive to Trump in the outlet’s own voice without a source for it.

Trump Makes Bonkers Demand in Revenge for Dem Election Stunt

Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

Dem Election StuntMore neutral: Democratic recruitment effort

Calls the recruitment a stunt in the outlet’s own voice before the allegation is established.

Trump Makes Bonkers Demand in Revenge for Dem Election Stunt

Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)

FiascoMore neutral: controversy

Dismisses the controversy in the outlet’s own voice as a failure before its facts are settled.

Early Voting in Alaska on Pace to Hit Record Amid Two Dan Sullivans Fiasco

Used byNewsweek (Center)

YikesMore neutral: Peltola responds to NYT report

An exclamation that adds mockery rather than reporting facts.

Yikes: Peltola Makes Things Worse for Herself With Tone-Deaf Response to NYT's Decoy Dan…

Used byRedState (Far Right)

Tone-DeafMore neutral: response

Judges the response as insensitive without quoting a reaction to support that judgement.

Yikes: Peltola Makes Things Worse for Herself With Tone-Deaf Response to NYT's Decoy Dan Revelations

Used byRedState (Far Right)

shrugs offMore neutral: comments on

Suggests the strategist dismissed the matter carelessly, a judgement about her attitude.

Dem strategist shrugs off Alaska ballot scandal on MS NOW, insists 'this stuff happens all the time'

Used byFox News (Far Right)

Stacking BallotMore neutral: accused of recruiting a candidate

Asserts as fact that Democrats are stacking the ballot, which is the disputed claim.

Booker: Dems Stacking Ballot in Alaska with Fake Dan Sullivan 'Much Ado About Nothing'

Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

Fake Dan SullivanMore neutral: a second Dan Sullivan

Calls the candidate fake before the facts are established; he is a candidate with the same name.

Booker: Dems Stacking Ballot in Alaska with Fake Dan Sullivan 'Much Ado About Nothing'

Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

SkulduggeryMore neutral: the alleged recruitment

Describes the alleged recruitment as underhanded trickery before any finding.

Skulduggery in the Alaska Senate race is the latest example of double standards from a party…

Used byThe Free Press (Right)

brazen election meddlingMore neutral: an alleged effort to recruit a second candidate

Calls an alleged effort brazen meddling as if it were proven.

…will learn whether they meant any of it based on how they respond to brazen election meddling by one of their own.

Used byThe Free Press (Right)

Subvert DemocracyMore neutral: accused of a ballot scheme

Accuses the party of undermining democracy as settled fact, in the outlet’s own voice.

Democrats Subvert Democracy to Save It

Used byThe Free Press (Right)

brandsMore neutral: says

Uses a label-giving verb where neutral reporting would say he called it something.

Sen Dan Sullivan brands Peltola’s alleged ballot scheme a ‘scandal at the highest order’

Used byFox News (Far Right)

eruptsMore neutral: responds

Describes the senator’s response as an explosion, which adds drama.

The 'real' Dan Sullivan erupts at 'secret scheme to trick' voters in his Alaska Senate race as Trump blasts alleged…

Used byDaily Mail (Right)

blastsMore neutral: says

Describes Trump’s response in combative terms rather than neutrally.

…Sullivan erupts at 'secret scheme to trick' voters in his Alaska Senate race as Trump blasts alleged Democrat gambit as 'voter fraud at the highest level'

Used byDaily Mail (Right)

ballot hijinksMore neutral: alleged ballot effort

Calls alleged conduct playful mischief before any facts are established, which trivializes the allegations.

Alaskan ballot hijinks appear ‘criminal,’ Sen.

Used byNewsNation (Center)

ManipulatedMore neutral: Recruited candidates for

“Manipulated” asserts improper intent and wrongdoing in the headline, beyond the investigation’s description of recruiting efforts.

A Plan for Two Dans: How Democrats Manipulated Alaska’s Ballot

Used byThe New York Times (Left)

election-rigging shenanigansMore neutral: plan to recruit namesake candidates

Labels a reported candidate-recruitment plan as election rigging before any record shows vote fraud.

It was not a good day for Mary Peltola: the Democrats’ election-rigging shenanigans, which everyone has known about for months, were exposed.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

everyone has known about for monthsMore neutral: had been reported earlier

Presents a contested claim as common knowledge.

…for Mary Peltola: the Democrats’ election-rigging shenanigans, which everyone has known about for months, were exposed.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

Election AnticsMore neutral: recruitment effort

Calls a reported recruitment plan antics before its facts are established.

Mary Peltola's Reaction to the Dems' Alaska Election Antics Getting Exposed Says Everything

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

Getting ExposedMore neutral: reported

Presents the report as proof that a plan was uncovered before the facts are established.

Mary Peltola's Reaction to the Dems' Alaska Election Antics Getting Exposed Says Everything

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

modified limited hangoutsMore neutral: changed its explanation

Uses an insider term implying concealment, which the article does not establish.

Talk about modified limited hangouts.

Used byHot Air (Far Right)

fake candidateMore neutral: candidate with the same name

Calls the namesake candidate fake before the facts of the recruitment are established.

…the electorate.” Her staff was just exposed for plotting an effort to recruit a fake candidate with the same name as her opponent with the sole purpose of misleading voters.

Used byHot Air (Far Right)

exposed for lyingMore neutral: the report alleges

States as established that Peltola’s campaign lied, which the allegation in the report does not establish.

…And now that Peltola, her campaign, and Democrat leadership just got exposed for lying and misleading voters by recruiting another Dan Sullivan?

Used byHot Air (Far Right)

two-faced, tree-hugging, leftist scoundrelMore neutral: Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola

The words are the writer’s own insult and assert a character judgement that the report does not establish.

Yes, YES!” So declares Mary Peltola, the two-faced, tree-hugging, leftist scoundrel running for Senate in Alaska.

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

indubitably, lied to and misledMore neutral: whom the report says were misled

The writer states as settled fact that voters were lied to, which the reporting presents only as an allegation.

She delivered this sermon to a crowd of Alaskans she has, indubitably, lied to and misled.

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

astonishing admissionMore neutral: report

The phrase presents a newspaper report as a dramatic confession rather than a reported allegation.

On Wednesday, The New York Times published an astonishing admission, one of the cycle’s biggest October surprises.

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

rippedMore neutral: criticized

A strong verb of attack that presents the criticism as harsher than the statement of what the campaign did.

Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York ripped Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign for recruiting candidates…

Used byWashington Examiner (Right)

ballot stackingMore neutral: recruiting namesake candidates

Stacking presumes the ballot was manipulated before the facts are established, while the report describes recruiting namesake candidates.

New York Times report on Alaska ballot stacking ‘really devastating’: Byron York

Used byWashington Examiner (Right)

tried to cheat Alaska votersMore neutral: is alleged to have misled Alaska voters

States as fact that the campaign intended to deceive voters, which the report alleges but has not established.

Yet apparently her campaign tried to cheat Alaska voters with one of the most absurd tricks in American political history.

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

most absurd tricksMore neutral: unusual campaign tactic

Adds ridicule instead of describing the reported tactic.

Yet apparently her campaign tried to cheat Alaska voters with one of the most absurd tricks in American political history.

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

insaneMore neutral: (omit) and quote the statement

Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.

This is an insane story.

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

Gigantic coincidenceMore neutral: Unlikely coincidence

Uses sarcasm to imply intent before the facts are established.

Gigantic coincidence, right?

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

ShadyMore neutral: Namesake Candidate

Calls the recruitment shady before the facts are established.

The Shady Name Scheme Rocking A Crucial Senate Race

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

critics sayMore neutral: that a named critic says was intended

It attributes the intent behind the effort to unnamed critics, so the claim cannot be checked against a named source.

…voters may have made their choices before learning of the reported effort that critics say was intended to create confusion with a same-name candidate.

Used byFox News (Far Right)

odious legislationMore neutral: legislation

The adjective pre-judges legislation the writer has not described in detail.

That’s why they like to move fast when they pass odious legislation before anyone can read it, usually in the middle of the night, the same time of…

Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

StenchMore neutral: Allegations

The word is a vivid image of smell used to suggest wrongdoing before the allegations are established.

Will the Stench of Alaska's Peltola Scandal Spread to Marc Elias?

Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

curiousMore neutral: unusual

Implies suspicion about the candidacy without stating a fact.

The developments in the Alaska scandal surrounding the curious Senate candidacy of Dan J.

Used byRedState (Far Right)

blockbusterMore neutral: major

Presents the report’s impact as a superlative rather than describing it.

It started with a blockbuster New York Times report.

Used byRedState (Far Right)

DisappearedMore neutral: Is Dan J. Sullivan still in the race?

Scare quotes around a word meaning vanished imply concealment that the coverage has not established.

The Plot Thickens: Have the Democrats 'Disappeared' Decoy Dan J.

Used byRedState (Far Right)

Decoy Dan J. SullivanMore neutral: namesake candidate Dan J. Sullivan

Decoy asserts that the candidate’s purpose is to deceive voters, which is the point in dispute.

The Plot Thickens: Have the Democrats 'Disappeared' Decoy Dan J. Sullivan?

Used byRedState (Far Right)

torpedoMore neutral: defeat

The verb asserts an intent to sabotage in the outlet’s own voice, beyond what the report states.

…second Dan Sullivan to the Alaska election ballot to confuse voters in an attempt to torpedo incumbent Republican Senator Dan S.

Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

bad actorsMore neutral: people in the Alaska Democratic Party

The label pre-judges unnamed people as wrongdoers in the outlet’s own voice.

According to the latest reports, certain bad actors in the Alaska Democrat Party conspired to recruit another man named Dan Sullivan to…

Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

Democrat PartyMore neutral: Democratic Party

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

According to the latest reports, certain bad actors in the Alaska Democrat Party conspired to recruit another man named Dan Sullivan to run for Senate so that he…

Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

conspiredMore neutral: worked together

The verb asserts a secret agreement in the outlet’s own voice that the reports describe only as allegations.

According to the latest reports, certain bad actors in the Alaska Democrat Party conspired to recruit another man named Dan Sullivan to run for Senate so that he could get his…

Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

BlastMore neutral: criticize

The headline uses a hostile verb in the outlet’s own voice where a plain verb reports the same criticism.

'The View' Hosts Blast Alaska Democrats' 'Shady Tactic' Putting a Second Dan Sullivan on the Ballot

Used byBreitbart News (Far Right)

mysteriousMore neutral: Democrat operative

Mysterious suggests concealment that the text does not establish.

A mysterious Democrat operative who has worked behind the scenes on a slew of campaigns is in the…

Used byDaily Mail (Right)

schemeMore neutral: alleged effort

The word presents an allegation of intent as an established plan, although Peltola denies knowledge of it.

Alaska Democrat Senate candidate Mary Peltola denied knowledge of a scheme to confuse voters and siphon away votes from incumbent Republican Senator Dan…

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

siphon away votesMore neutral: draw votes away from

The phrase states a motive and effect as settled fact while the report is disputed.

…candidate Mary Peltola denied knowledge of a scheme to confuse voters and siphon away votes from incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

ScramblesMore neutral: responds to

The verb suggests panic, while the body reports Peltola denying knowledge of the effort.

Alaska’s Mary Peltola Scrambles After Bombshell Report Exposes Democrat ‘Decoy Dan’ Scheme

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

election-rigging shenanigansMore neutral: effort to recruit a second candidate

Asserts an election-rigging motive and uses a mocking term before any finding.

…happening, even though Townhall's Joe Chalfant first reported on these election-rigging shenanigans back in May.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

Election AnticsMore neutral: Election Dispute

‘Antics’ dismisses the recruitment as foolish behavior before the facts are settled.

'They Are Abject Liars': Scott Jennings Weighs in on Alaska Democrats' Election Antics

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

prop upMore neutral: support

The phrase implies artificial support for a candidate, which goes beyond the reported facts of recruitment.

…investigate Democratic Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s role in the effort to prop up a spoiler candidate with the same name as her opponent, incumbent GOP Sen.

Used bySemafor (Center)

the only way to describe the Democratic plotMore neutral: one way to describe the alleged Democratic effort

Presents one characterization of a disputed scheme as the only possible description.

“Cheating” is the only way to describe the Democratic plot in Alaska to put another Dan Sullivan on the Senate ballot to…

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

tried to convince their audienceMore neutral: said to their audience

Implies the hosts intended to mislead their audience, which the excerpt does not establish.

…in a bombshell New York Times report, they called the tactic dirty but tried to convince their audience that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola didn’t know what her campaign was…

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

Democrats CheatingMore neutral: alleged Democratic effort in Alaska

States as established fact a cheating scheme that is alleged and under investigation.

‘The View’ Doesn’t See A Problem With Democrats Cheating in Alaska

Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

voting schemeMore neutral: effort to add a second candidate with the same name

The label calls the conduct a scheme in the outlet’s own voice before intent is established.

Alaska Democrats’ voting scheme shows they think voters are ‘stupid’: Salena Zito

Used byWashington Examiner (Right)

designed to deceive Alaska votersMore neutral: that allegedly aimed to confuse Alaska voters

Presents the alleged intent behind the recruitment as established fact in the outlet’s own voice.

…records from individuals involved in a reported Democrat-led scandal designed to deceive Alaska voters in the state’s 2026 Senate race.

Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

Decoy Dan debacleMore neutral: recruitment of a second Dan Sullivan

‘Debacle’ manufactures drama around a matter still under reporting and dispute.

If Americans can learn one thing from the Decoy Dan debacle, it's that Democrats don't actually care about making voting easier -- they just…

Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

Bogus ExcusesMore neutral: stated reasons for opposing

Labels Democrats’ stated reasons as false in the headline without evidence in the supplied text.

‘Decoy Dan’ Exposes Democrats’ Bogus Excuses For Opposing SAVE Act

Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

blastedMore neutral: criticized

Describes criticism as an attack, adding force beyond the reported remarks.

Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha blasted the media for dismissing the Trump administration’s investigation into Alaska…

Used byWashington Examiner (Right)

broke into a tiradeMore neutral: spoke at length

Characterizes the remarks as a rant in the outlet’s own voice.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller broke into a tirade on Fox News over the Alaska ballot, where Republicans are accusing Democrat…

Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

melts downMore neutral: reacts angrily

Describes the official’s remarks as a loss of control in the outlet’s own voice rather than reporting what he said.

'It's sociopathic!' Stephen Miller melts down over Alaska ballot on Fox News

Used byRaw Story (Far Left)

shockingMore neutral: notable

Editorial adjective in the outlet’s own voice that adds drama without new facts.

It’s shocking it took this long.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

fake Dan SullivansMore neutral: candidates named Dan Sullivan

Calls the candidates fake as a conclusion, before the outlet has shown the candidates were not genuine.

We covered this in May: the Democrats had a scheme to fill the ballot with fake Dan Sullivans, splitting the vote between Democrat Mary Peltola and Sen.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

Flees HomeMore neutral: Is Reported at Home

Suggests the candidate ran away from home, a claim the description does not support.

Decoy Dan Sullivan Flees Home Amid Election-Rigging Scandal in Alaska

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

Election-Rigging ScandalMore neutral: Ballot Controversy

Presents an unproven accusation of rigging as an established scandal in the headline.

Decoy Dan Sullivan Flees Home Amid Election-Rigging Scandal in Alaska

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

dire warningsMore neutral: warnings

The adjective dire pre-judges the Democratic warnings in the outlet's own voice.

Dems' dire warnings about threats to democracy face an uncomfortable reckoning after Alaska election…

Used byFox News (Far Right)

uncomfortable reckoningMore neutral: scrutiny

Presents a pending response as a dramatic confrontation in the outlet's own voice.

Dems' dire warnings about threats to democracy face an uncomfortable reckoning after Alaska election report

Used byFox News (Far Right)

false Dan SullivanMore neutral: second man named Dan Sullivan

Calls the second candidate false as a settled fact, although the reporting it describes is an allegation.

…the New York Times that Democrat Mary Peltola and her allies had recruited a false Dan Sullivan in hopes of confusing voters.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

Wild.More neutral: Remove the reaction.

A one-word editorial reaction in the outlet's own voice.

Wild.

Used byTownhall (Far Right)

rocks AlaskaMore neutral: as DOJ investigation reaches Alaska

Uses a dramatic verb to describe a investigation whose reported facts are subpoenas.

…Scott declares alleged 'Decoy Dan' plot a 'criminal offense' as DOJ investigation rocks Alaska

Used byFox News (Far Right)

dodgedMore neutral: did not answer

The verb presents a declined answer as evasion in the outlet’s own voice.

Tim Scott (R-S.C.) on Sunday dodged on whether he would accept the Alaska Senate election results in the case that…

Used byThe Hill (Center)