PoliticsDeveloping
Trump hires Beni Rae Harmony as assistant White House press secretary
By Mantle News
Coverage spectrum
Covered by 4 outlets, mostly left-leaning (75%).
5 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias
Beni Rae Harmony, 24, announced on Friday that she is joining the Trump administration as assistant White House press secretary, following the August departure of former press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Harmony had worked for the past year as a White House correspondent for Real America’s Voice, a right-wing network linked to Steve Bannon, after resigning from local station WICS-ABC20, where she had been suspended for an emotional on-air tribute to Charlie Kirk following his fatal shooting. She also has past ties to Turning Point USA. After the announcement, a 2021 photo surfaced showing Harmony posing with a rifle while wearing a shirt reading “F**k Joe Biden”; the White House, through spokesperson Anna Kelly, defended the hire, calling Harmony “a trusted voice for the MAGA movement.”
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.
Beni Rae Harmony, 24, announced Friday she is joining the Trump administration as assistant White House press secretary.
Reported byLeftRight
She previously served as Senior White House Correspondent for Real America’s Voice, a right-wing network linked to Steve Bannon.
Reported byLeftRight
She resigned from WICS-ABC20 after being suspended for an on-air tribute to Charlie Kirk following his fatal shooting.
Reported byLeftRight
A 2021 photo surfaced showing Harmony posing with a rifle while wearing a “F**k Joe Biden” T-shirt, posted by former Virginia congressional candidate Jarome Bell.
Reported byLeft
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the hire, calling Harmony “a trusted voice for the MAGA movement.”
Reported byLeftRight
Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points
Harmony has past ties to Turning Point USA and, according to The Guardian, previously worked for Rep. Paul Gosar and former Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Reported byLeft
The hire follows a White House staff shakeup that began with Karoline Leavitt’s departure as press secretary in August.
Reported byLeftRight
How each side tells it
Compare views
the left
3 outlets
Left-leaning outlets, across both mainstream and further-left outlets, emphasize Harmony’s ties to far-right figures and a resurfaced photo of her posing with a rifle and an expletive-laden anti-Biden shirt, with the furthest-left outlet (The Daily Beast) using the most charged language.
White House defends new press aide who posed with rifle in ‘Fuck Joe Biden’ shirt
The GuardianLeftAll 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
The sole right-leaning outlet frames the hire as a personal, personality-driven story about Harmony’s appeal to Trump rather than her political background.
Is this the new Karoline Leavitt? Trump Loaded verb“poaches”Describes a routine hire with a predatory verb implying improper acquisition rather than a neutral hiring decision.More neutral: hiresDisagree with this highlight? Loaded modifier“glamorous”Focuses on appearance rather than qualifications, a judgement not needed to report the hire.More neutral: former television reporterDisagree with this highlight? reporter, 24, after 'taking a liking' to her
Daily MailRightAll 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.
Left2
far-right firebrandVile Image
Center
Has not covered this story.
Right2
poachesglamorous
In the outlets’ own words
Loaded verb
poachesMore neutral: hires
Describes a routine hire with a predatory verb implying improper acquisition rather than a neutral hiring decision.
Trump poaches glamorous reporter, 24, after 'taking a liking' to her
Used byDaily Mail (Right)
Loaded modifier
glamorousMore neutral: former television reporter
Focuses on appearance rather than qualifications, a judgement not needed to report the hire.
Trump poaches glamorous reporter, 24, after 'taking a liking' to her
Used byDaily Mail (Right)
Loaded modifier
far-right firebrandMore neutral: conservative commentator
‘Firebrand’ adds a dramatic, judgmental characterization beyond simply identifying Kirk’s political affiliation.
A broadcast journalist who was reprimanded—then quit—after praising far-right firebrand Charlie Kirk in an emotional on-air tribute has been named White House…
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
Sensational language
Vile ImageMore neutral: Photo Emerges of New White House Press Aide
Labels the photo as morally repugnant rather than describing its contents neutrally, inserting the outlet’s judgement into the headline.
Vile Image Emerges of New White House Press Aide
Used byThe Daily Beast (Far Left)
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
3 outletsLeads with
- the rifle and T-shirt photo
- her connections to Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA, and Real America’s Voice
- the White House’s defense of the hire
Leaves out
- Trump’s personal interest in Harmony as reported by the Daily Mail
Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.
See the 3 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
- The GuardianLeft
White House defends new press aide who posed with rifle in ‘Fuck Joe Biden’ shirt
Beni Rae Harmony, 24, has been ‘a trusted voice for the MAGA movement as a White House correspondent’, White House says The White House has defended a newly hired press aide who posed for a holiday photograph in 2021 wearing a “Fuck Joe Biden” T-shirt and holding a rifle.
- The IndependentLeft
Right-wing TV personality who praised Charlie Kirk and wore f*** Biden shirt, lands White House press role
Beni Rae Harmony previously worked for both Real America’s Voice and Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA
- The Daily BeastFar Left
Sensational language“Vile Image”Labels the photo as morally repugnant rather than describing its contents neutrally, inserting the outlet’s judgement into the headline.More neutral: Photo Emerges of New White House Press AideDisagree with this highlight? Emerges of New White House Press Aide
President Donald Trump’s new press office hire has previously posed toting a rifle and wearing a shirt that reads, “F--K JOE BIDEN.” Beni Rae Harmony, 24, announced Friday she was hired as an assistant press secretary and White House spokesperson. …
1 more from The Daily Beast
From the center
0 outletsNo center outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
From the right
1 outletLeads with
- Harmony’s age and appearance
- Trump’s personal interest in her
- her rise from conservative media
Leaves out
- the rifle and anti-Biden T-shirt photo
- her past work for Gosar and Gaetz
Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.
See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
- Daily MailRight
Is this the new Karoline Leavitt? Trump Loaded verb“poaches”Describes a routine hire with a predatory verb implying improper acquisition rather than a neutral hiring decision.More neutral: hiresDisagree with this highlight? Loaded modifier“glamorous”Focuses on appearance rather than qualifications, a judgement not needed to report the hire.More neutral: former television reporterDisagree with this highlight? reporter, 24, after 'taking a liking' to her
Beni Rae Harmony, 24, has confirmed her new position as Assistant Press Secretary and White House spokesperson after reports she had been poached from Real America's Voice.
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
5 hr 29 min later
Its first report, Oct 3, 4:11 AM EDT
Center
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Right
First to report
Daily Mail, Oct 2, 10:42 PM EDT
See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
- Daily MailRightOct 2, 10:42 PM EDT
- The Daily BeastFar LeftOct 3, 4:11 AM EDT
- The IndependentLeftOct 3, 4:08 PM EDT
- The GuardianLeftOct 4, 7:38 PM EDT
Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.
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