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Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed responds to Trump’s comments on his name and faith

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Coverage spectrum

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

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

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is in the final days of his campaign. Politico and The Daily Wire report that President Donald Trump called El-Sayed a “jihadist”, and Politico reports that El-Sayed brushed off the attacks as “desperate, bad faith attacks”. Five days before Election Day, El-Sayed said Republicans would rather talk about his name and Muslim faith than about the rising costs he says are hurting families. HuffPost describes the remarks as Islamophobic, while The Daily Wire opinion piece argues the label is fair to use.

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. Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic candidate in the Michigan U.S. Senate race ahead of the midterm elections.

    Across the spectrumReported byFar Left1Left1Right1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Left
    Politico
    Right
    The Washington Times
    Far Right
    The Daily Wire

  2. Donald Trump called Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist”, according to reports.

    Reported byLeft1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Politico
    Far Right
    The Daily Wire

  3. El-Sayed brushed off Trump’s attacks as “desperate, bad faith attacks”.

    One outletPolitico· Left

  4. El-Sayed said, five days before Election Day, that Republicans would rather talk about his name and Muslim faith than the costs he says are driving up prices for families.

    One outletThe Washington Times· Right

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • Trump’s comments about El-Sayed’s name and Muslim faith are anti-Muslim.

    HuffPost and Politico describe the attacks as anti-Muslim or Islamophobic. The Daily Wire opinion piece says the remarks could be argued to tap into anti-Muslim prejudices, and urges readers to call El-Sayed a jihadist. El-Sayed, as reported by The Washington Times, says the attacks are meant to distract from costs.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides report that Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan, faces attacks from Trump over his name and Muslim faith in the closing days before the election. The left frames these remarks as anti-Muslim attacks, while the right’s news coverage presents El-Sayed’s argument that they distract from costs.

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Headlines frame Trump’s remarks as anti-Muslim attacks and Islamophobic tropes, presenting the Michigan race as a fight over religion; the Far Left HuffPost headline uses the most charged wording.

    Trump’s Loaded modifier“anti-Muslim attacks”Characterizes the remarks as hostile to Muslims in the outlet’s own voice rather than describing what was said.More neutral: attacks on a Muslim candidate’s faith and originDisagree with this highlight? dominate Michigan’s election homestretch
    PoliticoLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    No coverage yet

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

  • the right

    1 outlet · 1 opinion

    The news headline presents El-Sayed’s claim that GOP attacks on his faith distract from costs, while the Far Right opinion piece urges readers to call him a jihadist and argues the label is fair.

    El-Sayed says GOP attacks on his faith aim to distract from rising costs
    The Washington TimesRightAll 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.

  • Left3

    IslamophobiaIslamophobic Tropesanti-Muslim attacks

  • Center

    Has not covered this story.

  • Right4

    ‘Jihadist’liberal mediaincensed the liberal mediatidal wave of pearl-clutching

In the outlets’ own words

  • Hateful rhetoric

    ‘Jihadist’More neutral: Argues El-Sayed’s associations justify scrutiny

    Urges readers to call a Muslim candidate a jihadist, attaching a terrorist label to him because of his religion.

    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.

    Go Ahead, Call Abdul El-Sayed A ‘Jihadist’

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    IslamophobiaMore neutral: references to El-Sayed’s religion

    Characterizes the campaign’s approach as prejudice in the outlet’s own voice.

    Republicans from Trump down have increasingly relied on Islamophobia as they look for a hook to bring down Abdul El-Sayed before the midterm elections.

    Used byHuffPost (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    Islamophobic TropesMore neutral: remarks about El-Sayed’s Muslim faith

    Labels the remarks as prejudice in the outlet’s own voice before the claim is weighed.

    Trump, Republicans Lean Into Islamophobic Tropes In Michigan Senate Race

    Used byHuffPost (Far Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    anti-Muslim attacksMore neutral: attacks on a Muslim candidate’s faith and origin

    Characterizes the remarks as hostile to Muslims in the outlet’s own voice rather than describing what was said.

    Trump’s anti-Muslim attacks dominate Michigan’s election homestretch

    Used byPolitico (Left)

Show 3 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Delegitimizing label

    liberal mediaMore neutral: name the outlet

    Dismisses reporting by presumed politics rather than by evidence.

    …he went a step further, labeling El-Sayed a “jihadist,” which has incensed the liberal media and led ...

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    incensed the liberal mediaMore neutral: drew criticism from the media

    Describes media reaction with a word of anger that adds drama beyond the reported facts.

    Then he went a step further, labeling El-Sayed a “jihadist,” which has incensed the liberal media and led to a tidal wave of pearl-clutching at Al Jazeera, NPR, and the BBC.

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    tidal wave of pearl-clutchingMore neutral: a wave of criticism

    Uses a mocking image to dramatize other outlets’ reaction rather than describe it.

    …El-Sayed a “jihadist,” which has incensed the liberal media and led to a tidal wave of pearl-clutching at Al Jazeera, NPR, and the BBC.

    Used byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

Words quoted from someone else (7)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

    jihadist Muslim Brotherhood memberMore neutral: a label the article describes as false

    Attaches a terrorist-group label to a Muslim candidate because of his religion, a label the article itself calls false.

    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.

    …El-Sayed, a Rhodes scholar and former public health official, as a “jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member.

    Quoted byHuffPost (Far Left)

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

  • Hateful rhetoric

    Quoted

    A jihadistMore neutral: a label the candidate disputes

    Applies a terrorist label to a Muslim candidate because of his religion, a label the excerpt presents among other attacks.

    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.

    DEARBORN, MICHIGAN — “A threat to America.” “Radical ideology.” “A jihadist.” President Donald Trump and Republicans are ratcheting up their efforts to brand…

    Quoted byPolitico (Left)

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

  • Hateful rhetoric

    Quoted

    MohamedMore neutral: other names Trump used for El-Sayed

    Mocks a candidate by using a name associated with his faith, which the excerpt says is meant to provoke anti-Muslim prejudice.

    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.

    …up his attacks on Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, calling him “Mohamed” and “Abdul Ramadan” in a way meant to provoke his rally attendees and, one could…

    Quoted byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

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

  • Hateful rhetoric

    Quoted

    jihadistMore neutral: a label the candidate disputes

    Applies a terrorist label to a Muslim candidate because of his religion, as quoted from the rally.

    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.

    Then he went a step further, labeling El-Sayed a “jihadist,” which has incensed the liberal media and led to a tidal wave of pearl-clutching at…

    Quoted byThe Daily Wire (Far Right)

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

Show 3 more quoted phrasesShow fewer

  • Dehumanizing label

    Quoted

    hordes of jihadisMore neutral: a threat of terrorism

    Describes Muslims as an invading swarm of dangerous people, a dehumanizing image tied to a religious group.

    “If Abdul and the Democrats win, they will open the floodgates and invite hordes of jihadis to our shores, creating a nightmare of violence and terror until you cannot even…

    Quoted byHuffPost (Far Left)

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

  • Loaded modifier

    Quoted

    desperate, bad faith attacksMore neutral: criticized the attacks

    A candidate’s judgment of his opponents’ motives, carried into the headline without neutral attribution of the criticism.

    After Trump called him a “jihadist,” Abdul El-Sayed brushed off the “desperate, bad faith attacks”

    Quoted byPolitico (Left)

    These are Abdul El-Sayed’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Loaded modifier

    Quoted

    Radical ideologyMore neutral: political views Republicans criticize

    Labels a candidate’s politics as extreme, a judgment quoted from the attacks and not a neutral description.

    DEARBORN, MICHIGAN — “A threat to America.” “Radical ideology.” “A jihadist.” President Donald Trump and Republicans are ratcheting up their…

    Quoted byPolitico (Left)

    These are Donald Trump and Republicans’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

2 outlets

Leads with

  • anti-Muslim attacks by Trump and Republicans
  • Islamophobia in the Michigan race
  • El-Sayed’s rejection of the attacks as bad faith
See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • PoliticoLeft

    Trump’s Loaded modifier“anti-Muslim attacks”Characterizes the remarks as hostile to Muslims in the outlet’s own voice rather than describing what was said.More neutral: attacks on a Muslim candidate’s faith and originDisagree with this highlight? dominate Michigan’s election homestretch

    After Trump called him a “jihadist,” Abdul El-Sayed brushed off the “Loaded modifier“desperate, bad faith attacks”A candidate’s judgment of his opponents’ motives, carried into the headline without neutral attribution of the criticism.More neutral: criticized the attacksThese are Abdul El-Sayed’s words. The outlet is reporting them.Disagree with this highlight?”

    Read at Politico (opens in a new tab)
  • HuffPostFar Left

    Trump, Republicans Lean Into Loaded modifier“Islamophobic Tropes”Labels the remarks as prejudice in the outlet’s own voice before the claim is weighed.More neutral: remarks about El-Sayed’s Muslim faithDisagree with this highlight? In Michigan Senate Race

    Republicans from Trump down have increasingly relied on Loaded modifier“Islamophobia”Characterizes the campaign’s approach as prejudice in the outlet’s own voice.More neutral: references to El-Sayed’s religionDisagree with this highlight? as they look for a hook to bring down Abdul El-Sayed before the midterm elections.

    Read at HuffPost (opens in a new tab)

From the center

0 outlets

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

From the right

1 outlet · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • El-Sayed’s claim that the attacks distract from costs
  • Trump’s “jihadist” label for El-Sayed
  • Trump’s use of El-Sayed’s name
See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Washington TimesRight

    El-Sayed says GOP attacks on his faith aim to distract from rising costs

    Five days before Election Day, Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is closing out the campaign with a simple argument: Republicans would rather talk about his name and Muslim faith than the issues he says are driving up costs for families.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily WireFar RightOpinion

    Go Ahead, Call Abdul El-Sayed A Hateful rhetoric“‘Jihadist’”Urges readers to call a Muslim candidate a jihadist, attaching a terrorist label to him because of his religion.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: Argues El-Sayed’s associations justify scrutinyDisagree with this highlight?

    President Trump has leveled up his attacks on Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, calling him “Mohamed” and “Abdul Ramadan” in a way meant to provoke his rally attendees and, one could argue, tap into anti-Muslim prejudices. …

    Read at The Daily Wire (opens in a new tab)

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

    HuffPost, Oct 28, 9:00 AM EDT

  • Center

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

  • Right

    1 day 3 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 29, 12:34 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. HuffPostFar LeftOct 28, 9:00 AM EDT
  2. PoliticoLeftOct 29, 5:00 AM EDT
  3. The Washington TimesRightOct 29, 12:34 PM EDT

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

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