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Senate confirms Keith Sonderling as labor secretary in 47-41 vote

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 5 outlets, mostly right-leaning (60%).

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

The Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling on Wednesday night to serve as secretary of labor, voting 47-41 largely along party lines. Sonderling had been acting secretary since April, when Lori Chavez-DeRemer departed the post; several outlets reported her exit followed allegations that she had misused her position, though Sonderling was not connected to that matter. He previously served as deputy secretary of labor, held roles at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Labor during President Trump's first term, and practiced employment law in Florida. The vote came as the Senate recessed for roughly six weeks ahead of the November midterm elections, with twelve senators absent.

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. The Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling as secretary of labor in a 47-41 vote.

    Reported byCenterRight

  2. Sonderling had been serving as acting secretary of labor since April.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  3. The vote fell along party lines, with Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed.

    Reported byCenterRight

  4. Sonderling replaces Lori Chavez-DeRemer, who departed amid reports of an investigation into alleged misconduct.

    Reported byLeftRight

  5. The confirmation came as the Senate recessed for about six weeks ahead of the November midterm elections.

    Reported byRight

  6. Sonderling previously served as deputy secretary of labor and held roles at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Labor during Trump's first term.

    Reported byLeftRight

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • Why Lori Chavez-DeRemer left the Department of Labor

    CBS News says she departed for a private-sector job and separately notes reports that her conduct had come under scrutiny. The Associated Press report (published by the New York Post) and The Daily Signal more directly tie her exit to allegations that she abused the power of her position or to an inspector general investigation, while The Hill does not address the reason for her departure.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    1 outlet

    CBS News uses a flat, factual headline focused solely on the confirmation and provides background on prior Cabinet departures.

    Senate confirms Keith Sonderling as labor secretary
    CBS NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The Hill's headline frames Sonderling as a department ‘insider’ and leads with the exact vote count and partisan breakdown.

    Senate confirms Loaded modifier“insider”Labels Sonderling with a term implying cronyism or lack of independence rather than a neutral description of his prior role.More neutral: acting secretaryDisagree with this highlight? Keith Sonderling to lead Department of Labor
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    3 outlets · 2 opinion

    Most right-leaning outlets use straightforward confirmation headlines, though the two far-right opinion-oriented outlets (RedState, Townhall) adopt more celebratory or dramatic framing emphasizing the Senate's recess and Sonderling's own reaction.

    Keith Sonderling confirmed as Secy. of Labor
    One America NewsFar RightAll 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

    insider

  • Right2

    multiple allegations that she had abused the power of her positionlast gasp act

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded modifier

    insiderMore neutral: acting secretary

    Labels Sonderling with a term implying cronyism or lack of independence rather than a neutral description of his prior role.

    Senate confirms insider Keith Sonderling to lead Department of Labor

    Used byThe Hill (Center)

  • Vague attribution

    multiple allegations that she had abused the power of her positionMore neutral: allegations that she had misused her position, according to unnamed sources

    Attributes a serious claim of misconduct to unnamed sources without specifying who made the allegations.

    Her exit followed multiple allegations that she had abused the power of her position.

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

  • Sensational language

    last gasp actMore neutral: final act

    Dramatizes a routine procedural vote with language implying finality or crisis beyond the facts.

    The body's last gasp act was the confirmation vote for Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling to take…

    Used byRedState (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

1 outlet

Leads with

  • official confirmation
  • Sonderling's career background
  • context of other Cabinet shakeups

Leaves out

  • final vote tally of 47-41
  • party-line breakdown
  • Senate recess timing

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

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines
  • CBS NewsLeft

    Senate confirms Keith Sonderling as labor secretary

    The Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling to lead the Department of Labor on Wednesday, officially installing the nominee who has been leading in an acting capacity since Lori Chavez-DeRemer's exit in April.

    Read at CBS News (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • vote count and margin
  • party-line nature of the vote
  • the vacancy's duration

Leaves out

  • reason for Chavez-DeRemer's departure
  • Sonderling's prior EEOC and first-term roles

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

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    Senate confirms Loaded modifier“insider”Labels Sonderling with a term implying cronyism or lack of independence rather than a neutral description of his prior role.More neutral: acting secretaryDisagree with this highlight? Keith Sonderling to lead Department of Labor

    The Senate voted 47-41 Wednesday night to confirm Keith Sonderling, acting Secretary of Labor, to the post permanently — filling a seat in President Trump’s cabinet that has been officially empty since April. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

From the right

3 outlets · 2 opinion

Leads with

  • the 47-41 vote tally
  • the Senate's recess for midterm campaigning
  • Sonderling's record and policy priorities
  • circumstances of Chavez-DeRemer's exit

Leaves out

  • The Hill's characterization of Sonderling as an ‘insider’

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

See the 5 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • One America NewsFar Right

    Keith Sonderling confirmed as Secy. of Labor

    The United States Senate confirmed acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling as the permanent head of the department.

    Read at One America News (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily SignalFar Right

    Labor Secretary Confirmed as Senate’s Last Act Before 6-Week Recess

    In its final vote ahead of the November elections, the Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling as secretary of labor in a late-night party-line vote. The Senate is set to take six weeks off to campaign, not returning to Washington until after the election. …

    Read at The Daily Signal (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRightAssociated Press report

    Senate approves Trump’s pick to lead the Labor Department

    Keith Sonderling, who was confirmed 47-41, has been the acting secretary since April and has served in multiple roles within the department over the course of his career.

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

    A Trump Cabinet Member Is Officially Confirmed: 'Honored'

    Keith Sonderling was confirmed as Labor Secretary on Wednesday night in a 47-41 vote in the U.S. Senate.

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

    On Their Way Out the Door, Senate Confirms Keith Sonderling As Secretary of Labor

    The U.S. Senate has officially recessed until after the November midterm elections. The body's last gasp act was the confirmation vote for Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling to take on the mantle as Secretary of Labor.

    Read at RedState (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

    CBS News, Sep 30, 11:07 PM EDT

  • Center

    22 min later

    Its first report, Sep 30, 11:28 PM EDT

  • Right

    1 hr 16 min later

    Its first report, Oct 1, 12:22 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. CBS NewsLeftSep 30, 11:07 PM EDT
  2. The HillCenterSep 30, 11:28 PM EDT
  3. New York PostRightOct 1, 12:22 AM EDT
  4. The Daily SignalFar RightOct 1, 1:50 PM EDT
  5. One America NewsFar RightOct 1, 4:24 PM EDT

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

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