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Social Security emails praising Trump may violate Hatch Act, experts say

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets, mostly left-leaning (67%).

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

Federal building entrance with two people walking up steps, Health and Human Services signage visible.
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Social Security Administration emails praising President Donald Trump were sent days before the midterm elections, according to The New York Times, Raw Story and The Hill. The Times reports that the emails went out on Friday and Saturday under the name of Commissioner Frank Bisignano and quotes the message calling the agency a model of excellence under Trump. The Hill also reports that an email from the Internal Revenue Service praised Trump. Legal experts quoted by the outlets say the emails may violate the Hatch Act, which restricts political activity by federal employees.

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. Social Security Administration emails praised President Donald Trump days before the midterm elections.

    Reported byFar Left1Left1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    Raw Story
    Left
    The New York Times
    Center
    The Hill

  2. According to the New York Times, the email went out on Friday and Saturday under the name of Commissioner Frank Bisignano.

    One side only: the leftReported byFar Left1Left1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    Raw Story
    Left
    The New York Times

  3. The email said the agency is transforming into “a model of excellence” under Trump.

    Reported byFar Left1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    Raw Story
    Center
    The Hill

  4. Legal experts say the emails may violate the Hatch Act, which restricts political activity by federal employees.

    Reported byFar Left1Left1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    Raw Story
    Left
    The New York Times
    Center
    The Hill

  5. The Hill reports that an Internal Revenue Service email also praised Trump.

    One outletThe Hill· Center

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three outlets report that a Social Security email praising Trump before the midterms may violate the Hatch Act, according to experts. Left outlets stress the alarm and the email’s praise of Trump, while The Hill’s headline states the possible violation plainly and adds an IRS email.

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Left outlets lead with experts saying the email may breach the Hatch Act; Far Left Raw Story goes further, calling it an alarm and a “love letter.”

    Social Security Email Praising Trump May Violate Anticorruption Law, Experts Say
    The New York TimesLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The Hill’s headline states that the email may violate the Hatch Act in plain terms, and its description adds an Internal Revenue Service email sent with it.

    Social Security email praising Trump may violate Hatch Act
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • 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.

  • Left1

    love letter

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right

    Has not covered this story.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Sensational language

    love letterMore neutral: email praising Trump

    The label mocks the email and presents it as a personal endorsement, which goes beyond the experts’ concern about the Hatch Act.

    Experts sound alarm as Social Security sends users possibly illegal Trump love letter

    Used byRaw Story (Far 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

2 outlets

Leads with

  • legal experts’ view of a possible Hatch Act violation
  • praise of Trump in the agency email
  • timing days before the midterms

Leaves out

  • an IRS email praising Trump, reported by The Hill

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

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • Raw StoryFar Left

    Experts sound alarm as Social Security sends users possibly illegal Trump Sensational language“love letter”The label mocks the email and presents it as a personal endorsement, which goes beyond the experts’ concern about the Hatch Act.More neutral: email praising TrumpDisagree with this highlight?

    The Social Security Administration sent people with online accounts an email praising President Donald Trump days before the midterm elections, and legal experts say it may have run afoul of federal law. …

    Read at Raw Story (opens in a new tab)
  • The New York TimesLeft

    Social Security Email Praising Trump May Violate Anticorruption Law, Experts Say

    A message sent days before the midterms could violate the Hatch Act, which restricts political activity by federal employees.

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

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • possible Hatch Act violation
  • IRS email alongside the SSA email
  • experts’ view
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    Social Security email praising Trump may violate Hatch Act

    Emails sent by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that praised President Trump may violate the Hatch Act, experts say. “Under President Donald J. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

From the right

0 outlets

No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, 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 New York Times, Nov 1, 8:00 AM EST

  • Center

    7 hr 44 min later

    Its first report, Nov 1, 3:44 PM EST

  • Right

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The New York TimesLeftNov 1, 8:00 AM EST
  2. Raw StoryFar LeftNov 1, 1:09 PM EST
  3. The HillCenterNov 1, 3:44 PM EST

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

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