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Sen. Tillis calls Trump’s endorsement of Paxton over Cornyn a ‘colossal mistake’

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum.

5 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that President Trump’s decision to endorse Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the state’s Republican Senate primary was a “colossal mistake.” Tillis argued Cornyn would have avoided a costly, competitive race against Democratic candidate James Talarico. Paxton was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 on corruption and abuse-of-power allegations before being acquitted by the state Senate. GOP strategist Karl Rove also voiced concerns over the weekend about the party’s ability to hold the seat, as polling shows a close contest between Paxton and Talarico.

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. Sen. Thom Tillis said on CNN that Trump’s endorsement of Paxton over Cornyn was a “colossal mistake.”

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. Trump endorsed Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas GOP Senate primary earlier this year.

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  3. The general-election race features Paxton against Democratic candidate James Talarico and remains close in polling.

    Reported byRight

  4. GOP strategist Karl Rove also raised concerns about the race over the weekend.

    Reported byRight

  5. Ken Paxton was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 over corruption and abuse-of-power allegations before being acquitted by the state Senate.

    Reported byRight

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • Whether GOP intra-party criticism of the Paxton endorsement reflects a genuine electoral risk or is an inappropriate second-guessing of primary voters.

    The Washington Examiner and Breitbart report Tillis’s and Rove’s warnings as evidence of a real risk to the seat, while PJ Media (opinion) argues Texas Republican primary voters already made their choice and criticizes media outlets for elevating Tillis’s dissent.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    1 outlet

    The Guardian’s headline directly quotes Tillis criticizing Trump’s decision and frames the story around the political risk to the Senate seat.

    Republican says Trump’s support of Ken Paxton in Texas primary was ‘colossal mistake’
    The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The Hill’s headline centers on Tillis directly blasting Trump’s endorsement decision as a mistake.

    Tillis says Trump endorsing Paxton over Cornyn was 'colossal mistake'
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    2 outlets · 1 opinion

    Breitbart’s headline mirrors the center’s framing of Tillis’s quote, while the Washington Examiner broadens the story to include Rove’s concerns and the tightness of the Talarico race, and PJ Media’s opinion piece criticizes left-leaning outlets for amplifying Tillis’s criticism over the primary voters’ choice.

    Centrists warn pushing Paxton over Cornyn was mistake as Talarico sustains lead
    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.

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right3

    failed to consult the correct Republican firsta useful authority on what Texas Republicans should've doneThe Guardian Picked Tillis

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded modifier

    failed to consult the correct Republican firstMore neutral: did not seek Tillis's input before voting

    Sarcastically labels one Republican as the "correct" one, passing judgment on the legitimacy of Tillis's opinion versus the primary voters' choice.

    Apparently, however, Texas Republicans failed to consult the correct Republican first.

    Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    a useful authority on what Texas Republicans should've doneMore neutral: commentator on the race

    Mocks Tillis's credibility and frames his commentary as illegitimate rather than simply reporting his statement.

    …like that, a retiring senator from North Carolina became a useful authority on what Texas Republicans should've done months after Texas Republicans had already done it.

    Used byPJ Media (Far Right)

  • Delegitimizing label

    The Guardian Picked TillisMore neutral: The Guardian highlights Tillis's criticism

    Implies the news outlet manufactured or chose a political narrative rather than reported it, dismissing its coverage as illegitimate.

    Texas Republicans Picked Paxton, but The Guardian Picked Tillis

    Used byPJ Media (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

  • Tillis’s direct criticism of Trump
  • risk to the GOP Senate seat

Leaves out

  • Talarico’s current standing in the polls
  • Karl Rove’s comments

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

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines
  • The GuardianLeft

    Republican says Trump’s support of Ken Paxton in Texas primary was ‘colossal mistake’

    Thom Tillis says Trump’s decision to back Paxton over John Cornyn has put the Senate seat at risk for Republicans US senator Thom Tillis on Sunday criticized Donald Trump , his fellow Republican, for the president’s support of Ken Paxton over incumbent John Cornyn in the Texas …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Tillis’s quote calling the endorsement a mistake
  • intra-party GOP criticism

Leaves out

  • Talarico’s polling lead
  • Karl Rove’s comments
  • Paxton’s impeachment history

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

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    Tillis says Trump endorsing Paxton over Cornyn was 'colossal mistake'

    GOP Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.) on Sunday blasted President Trump for endorsing Ken Paxton (R) over Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in the Texas Senate Republican primary earlier this year. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

From the right

2 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • closeness of the Talarico-Paxton race
  • Republican strategists’ shared concerns
  • Paxton’s scandal history
See the 3 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    Centrists warn pushing Paxton over Cornyn was mistake as Talarico sustains lead

    Republican concerns are intensifying about the party’s ability to block Democrats from flipping Texas’s Senate seat blue, as polls continue to paint a razor-thin picture of the race. Sen. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)
  • Breitbart NewsFar Right

    Tillis: Trump 'Made a Colossal Mistake' Not Supporting Sen. Cornyn

    Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said President Donald Trump made a “colossal mistake” by not supporting Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) in his primary race. Tillis said, “We’ve got to focus on Ohio. But we’ve also

    Read at Breitbart News (opens in a new tab)
  • PJ MediaFar RightOpinion

    Texas Republicans Picked Paxton, but Delegitimizing label“The Guardian Picked Tillis”Implies the news outlet manufactured or chose a political narrative rather than reported it, dismissing its coverage as illegitimate.More neutral: The Guardian highlights Tillis's criticismDisagree with this highlight?

    Texas Republicans already had their say.

    Read at PJ Media (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

    3 hr later

    Its first report, Sep 27, 2:19 PM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    The Hill, Sep 27, 11:14 AM EDT

  • Right

    14 min later

    Its first report, Sep 27, 11:28 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. The HillCenterSep 27, 11:14 AM EDT
  2. Breitbart NewsFar RightSep 27, 11:28 AM EDT
  3. The GuardianLeftSep 27, 2:19 PM EDT
  4. Washington ExaminerRightSep 28, 10:46 AM EDT

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

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