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Trump signs executive order allowing red-dyed diesel on highways, deferring federal tax

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 6 outlets across the spectrum.

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

Coverage describes an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that lets truckers use red-dyed, off-road diesel on highways without federal penalties. The order defers rather than removes the 24.4-cent federal excise tax on on-road diesel through the end of the year, and asks the Treasury Secretary to look for ways to eliminate the deferred obligation. CNBC reports that Trump cannot defer state excise taxes. The White House says the order could save truckers, farmers and workers as much as $100 per fill. Farmers, truckers and economists told the Associated Press that it would bring little relief from record-high fuel prices. Bloomberg reported that some fuel distributors were holding off on selling red-dyed diesel to highway drivers while they awaited clarity. North Carolina’s governor has also suspended enforcement of the state penalty through the end of the year.

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. Trump signed an executive order allowing red-dyed, off-road diesel to be used on highways without federal penalties.

    Reported byCenter2Right2Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    CNBC, PBS NewsHour
    Right
    The Washington Times, The Center Square
    Far Right
    The Daily Caller

  2. The order defers the 24.4-cent federal excise tax on on-road diesel through the end of the year rather than eliminating it, and asks the Treasury Secretary to look for ways to eliminate the deferred obligation.

    Reported byCenter1Right1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    CNBC
    Right
    The Center Square
    Far Right
    The Daily Caller

  3. The White House says the order will save truckers, farmers and workers as much as $100 per fill.

    One outletThe Daily Caller· Far Right

  4. Farmers, truckers and economists say the change will provide little relief from record-high fuel prices.

    Reported byCenter1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    PBS NewsHour
    Right
    The Washington Times

  5. Bloomberg reports that fuel distributors and truck stops are holding off on selling red-dyed diesel to highway drivers while they await clarity on whether the tax will be forgiven or collected later.

    One outletThe Daily Caller· Far Right

  6. North Carolina’s governor has suspended enforcement of the state penalty for using red-dyed diesel on highways through the end of the year.

    One outletThe Center Square· Right

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • Whether the order will meaningfully lower what truckers pay at the pump.

    The White House says it will save truckers, farmers and workers as much as $100 per fill. Farmers, truckers and economists quoted by the Associated Press say it will provide little relief, and CNBC reports truckers will not see much relief.

  • Whether the federal diesel tax is eliminated or only postponed.

    The White House describes the order as deferring the federal excise tax through the end of the year. CNBC reports the deferred payment may still be owed later, and the Daily Caller reports distributors are unsure whether the government will permanently forgive the tax or demand payment later.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    1 outlet

    The Independent’s single piece is a road-trip feature whose headline centers drivers’ reactions to fuel prices and ties those prices to Trump’s war on Iran rather than to the order itself.

    On the Road in the time of Trump: Drivers across 3,000 miles vent on the wartime economy
    The IndependentLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    2 outlets

    CNBC’s headline presents the order as exposing the limits of White House action, and PBS’s headline, carrying an AP report, says the order will offer little relief to farmers and truckers.

    Trump’s diesel order Loaded verb“exposes”The verb implies a hidden failure being revealed, which goes beyond describing the order’s limits.More neutral: showsDisagree with this highlight? White House limits to counter surging fuel prices
    CNBCCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    3 outlets

    Washington Times and Center Square headlines lead with price increases and the limited relief the order provides, while the Daily Caller’s far-right headlines frame the order as a roadblock and tie it to midterm timing.

    Red-dyed diesel fuel actions Loaded verb“stained by”The metaphor implies the policy is tainted by price rises, a judgement the headline does not need to make.More neutral: amid one-year increases over 70%Disagree with this highlight? one-year increases over 70%
    The Center SquareRightAll 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.

  • Left1

    Trump’s war on Iran

  • Center1

    exposes

  • Right1

    stained by

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    exposesMore neutral: shows

    The verb implies a hidden failure being revealed, which goes beyond describing the order’s limits.

    Trump’s diesel order exposes White House limits to counter surging fuel prices

    Used byCNBC (Center)

  • Loaded modifier

    Trump’s war on IranMore neutral: the war with Iran

    The phrase attributes the war to Trump personally and pre-judges responsibility, while other outlets describe the U.S. action as an attack on Iran.

    Fuel prices are higher than ever because of Trump’s war on Iran.

    Used byThe Independent (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    stained byMore neutral: amid one-year increases over 70%

    The metaphor implies the policy is tainted by price rises, a judgement the headline does not need to make.

    Red-dyed diesel fuel actions stained by one-year increases over 70%

    Used byThe Center Square (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

  • drivers’ reactions across the country
  • fuel prices tied to the war with Iran
  • loyalty and strain on livelihoods

Leaves out

  • the order’s deferral of the federal tax
  • the suspension of the North Carolina penalty

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

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines
  • The IndependentLeft

    On the Road in the time of Trump: Drivers across 3,000 miles vent on the wartime economy

    Fuel prices are higher than ever because of Loaded modifier“Trump’s war on Iran”The phrase attributes the war to Trump personally and pre-judges responsibility, while other outlets describe the U.S. action as an attack on Iran.More neutral: the war with IranDisagree with this highlight?. Some motorists feeling that pain at the pump are reluctant to blame the president, while others are ready to vent. …

    Read at The Independent (opens in a new tab)

From the center

2 outlets

Leads with

  • limits of the order
  • little relief for truckers and farmers
  • midterm political pressure

Leaves out

  • the White House claim of up to $100 in savings per fill
  • Bloomberg’s report that distributors are holding off on red-dyed sales

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

See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

3 outlets

Leads with

  • fuel distributors holding off on red-dyed sales
  • White House claim of $100 savings per fill
  • fuel prices up more than 70 percent in North Carolina and nationally
  • midterm timing of the order

Leaves out

  • the order cannot defer state excise taxes

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

See the 3 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Center SquareRight

    Red-dyed diesel fuel actions Loaded verb“stained by”The metaphor implies the policy is tainted by price rises, a judgement the headline does not need to make.More neutral: amid one-year increases over 70%Disagree with this highlight? one-year increases over 70%

    (The Center Square) – Expanded access to the tax-exempt, red-dyed diesel fuel on the federal and North Carolina level has drawn praise for even the smallest of savings and criticism for barely easing diesel fuel prices that have climbed 72.1%…

    Read at The Center Square (opens in a new tab)
  • The Daily CallerFar Right

    Trump’s Midterm-Timed Diesel Order Hits Roadblock

    President Donald Trump wants to give truckers a break at the diesel pump amid soaring wartime prices — but fuel companies appear to be afraid they will be left footing the bill. …

    Read at The Daily Caller (opens in a new tab)
  • The Washington TimesRightAssociated Press report

    Trump's executive order on dyed diesel will offer little relief, farmers and truckers say

    Farmers, truckers and economists say a move to cut taxes on diesel will provide little relief from record-high fuel prices that have soared since the U.S. attacked Iran months ago.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)

    Also published by PBS NewsHour. It counts once.

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

    16 hr 51 min later

    Its first report, Oct 8, 7:00 AM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    CNBC, Oct 7, 2:09 PM EDT

  • Right

    1 hr 34 min later

    Its first report, Oct 7, 3:43 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. CNBCCenterOct 7, 2:09 PM EDT
  2. The Washington TimesRightOct 7, 3:43 PM EDT
  3. PBS NewsHourCenterOct 7, 5:27 PM EDT
  4. The IndependentLeftOct 8, 7:00 AM EDT
  5. The Daily CallerFar RightOct 8, 11:01 AM EDT
  6. The Center SquareRightOct 8, 3:21 PM EDT

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

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