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Rogers says he never called El-Sayed a terrorist; Trump has called him a jihadist

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets across the spectrum.

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

Former Representative Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate for Michigan’s open Senate seat, said on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday that he has never called Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed a terrorist. President Donald Trump has called El-Sayed a jihadist and a violent terrorist, and Rogers said he does not agree with those words. Rogers has also said El-Sayed pledged support to the Muslim Brotherhood and has dismissed questions about alleged ties to the group. Host Kristen Welker asked Rogers whether he agreed with Trump’s language.

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. President Donald Trump has called Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a jihadist and a violent terrorist.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    NBC News
    Center
    The Hill
    Right
    Washington Examiner

  2. Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate candidate in Michigan, said on Meet the Press that he has never called El-Sayed a terrorist.

    Reported byLeft1Center1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    NBC News
    Center
    The Hill
    Right
    Washington Examiner

  3. Rogers has said El-Sayed pledged support to the Muslim Brotherhood and has dismissed questions about alleged ties to the group.

    Reported byCenter1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    The Hill
    Right
    Washington Examiner

  4. Trump has also called El-Sayed a phony and a liar for portraying himself as a centrist.

    One outletWashington Examiner· Right

  5. Kristen Welker, the NBC host, pointed to El-Sayed’s 2012 letter supporting Egyptian protesters against Hosni Mubarak.

    One outletThe Hill· Center

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • El-Sayed has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

    Rogers says El-Sayed pledged support to the Muslim Brotherhood and has dismissed questions about ties to it. The Hill reports that Welker pointed to a 2012 letter by El-Sayed supporting Egyptian protesters against Mubarak. The supplied coverage gives no finding on the alleged ties.

  • El-Sayed is a terrorist or a jihadist.

    Trump calls El-Sayed a jihadist and a violent terrorist. Rogers says he has never called El-Sayed a terrorist and does not agree with Trump’s words.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three outlets report Rogers’s denial that he called El-Sayed a terrorist and Trump’s jihadist label for El-Sayed. The Washington Examiner frames the exchange as Rogers breaking with Trump, while NBC and The Hill lead with Rogers’s own words.

  • the left

    1 outlet

    The left side’s only coverage is NBC’s own report, whose headline leads with Rogers’s on-air denial, with Trump’s label as the context he responds to.

    Mike Rogers on Trump calling Abdul El-Sayed a terrorist: ‘I've never called him a terrorist’
    NBC NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The Hill’s headline leads with Rogers’s denial in plain terms, without framing Trump’s remarks in the headline itself.

    Rogers: I never called El-Sayed a 'terrorist'
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    The Washington Examiner frames the exchange as Rogers breaking with Trump, putting the split at the center of its headline and making the Muslim Brotherhood claim part of the story.

    Rogers breaks with Trump on el Sayed attacks: ‘I’ve never called him a terrorist’
    Washington ExaminerRightAll 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.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center1

    anti-Muslim rhetoric

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded modifier

    anti-Muslim rhetoricMore neutral: rhetoric about El-Sayed

    The outlet’s own label characterizes Trump’s remarks as anti-Muslim, a judgement beyond the words reported.

    …opponent Abdul El-Sayed (D) a "terrorist." Rogers addressed President Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric toward El-Sayed during an interview on "Meet the Press" on NBC News.

    Used byThe Hill (Center)

Words quoted from someone else (3)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Hateful rhetoric

    Quoted

    jihadistMore neutral: criticized El-Sayed

    Attaches a violent-extremist label to a Muslim candidate, and the label is the words of Trump rather than an established fact.

    Attacks or dehumanizes a person or a group because of who they are: their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.

    Mike Rogers (R) responds to President Trump calling Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist” and “violent terrorist.”

    Quoted byNBC News (Left)Washington Examiner (Right)

    These are Donald Trump’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Hateful rhetoric

    Quoted

    violent terroristMore neutral: criticized El-Sayed

    Attaches a terrorist label to a Muslim candidate through his group, and the label is the words of Trump rather than an established fact.

    Attacks or dehumanizes a person or a group because of who they are: their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.

    …Rogers (R) responds to President Trump calling Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist” and “violent terrorist.”

    Quoted byNBC News (Left)The Hill (Center)

    These are Donald Trump’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    vicious, violentMore neutral: critical

    Adds an insult to the quoted words that asserts a judgement about El-Sayed beyond what was said.

    …Sunday, declining to agree with the president calling Democrat Abdul el Sayed a “vicious, violent jihadist.” Rogers rejected the idea that he has referred to his opponent in such…

    Quoted byWashington Examiner (Right)

    These are Donald Trump’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

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

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Trump’s jihadist and terrorist labels
  • Rogers’s denial
  • Rogers’s refusal to echo Trump
See the headline from the leftHide the headlines
  • NBC NewsLeft

    Mike Rogers on Trump calling Abdul El-Sayed a terrorist: ‘I've never called him a terrorist’

    In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Michigan Senate candidate and former Rep. Mike Rogers (R) responds to President Trump calling Abdul El-Sayed a “Hateful rhetoric“jihadist”Attaches a violent-extremist label to a Muslim candidate, and the label is the words of Trump rather than an established fact.Attacks or dehumanizes a person or a group because of who they are: their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.More neutral: criticized El-SayedThese are Donald Trump’s words. The outlet is reporting them.Disagree with this highlight?” and “Hateful rhetoric“violent terrorist”Attaches a terrorist label to a Muslim candidate through his group, and the label is the words of Trump rather than an established fact.Attacks or dehumanizes a person or a group because of who they are: their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.More neutral: criticized El-SayedThese are Donald Trump’s words. The outlet is reporting them.Disagree with this highlight?.”

    Read at NBC News (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Rogers’s denial of the terrorist label
  • Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric
  • Rogers’s Muslim Brotherhood claims
  • Welker’s 2012 letter question
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    Rogers: I never called El-Sayed a 'terrorist'

    Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R), who is running for Michigan's open Senate seat, on Sunday said he never called opponent Abdul El-Sayed (D) a "terrorist." Rogers addressed President Trump's Loaded modifier“anti-Muslim rhetoric”The outlet’s own label characterizes Trump’s remarks as anti-Muslim, a judgement beyond the words reported.More neutral: rhetoric about El-SayedDisagree with this highlight? toward El-Sayed during an interview on "Meet the Press" on NBC News. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Rogers breaking with Trump
  • Trump’s jihadist label
  • Muslim Brotherhood pledge claim
See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    Rogers breaks with Trump on el Sayed attacks: ‘I’ve never called him a terrorist’

    Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers broke with President Donald Trump on Sunday, declining to agree with the president calling Democrat Abdul el Sayed a “Sensational language“vicious, violent”Adds an insult to the quoted words that asserts a judgement about El-Sayed beyond what was said.More neutral: criticalThese are Donald Trump’s words. The outlet is reporting them.Disagree with this highlight? Hateful rhetoric“jihadist”Attaches a violent-extremist label to a Muslim candidate, and the label is the words of Trump rather than an established fact.Attacks or dehumanizes a person or a group because of who they are: their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.More neutral: criticized El-SayedThese are Donald Trump’s words. The outlet is reporting them.Disagree with this highlight?. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (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

    First to report

    NBC News, Oct 25, 9:44 AM EDT

  • Center

    23 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 26, 8:48 AM EDT

  • Right

    1 hr 36 min later

    Its first report, Oct 25, 11:20 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. NBC NewsLeftOct 25, 9:44 AM EDT
  2. Washington ExaminerRightOct 25, 11:20 AM EDT
  3. The HillCenterOct 26, 8:48 AM EDT

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

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