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Trump pardons two Alaska men who pleaded guilty to Clean Air Act violations

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 11 outlets across the spectrum.

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

Two men shake hands on stage before American flags, a third man holds a folder, crowd watching.
Image via CBS NewsHow images are chosenReport this image

Coverage from NBC News, CBS News, The Hill and other outlets reports that Trump signed pardons on stage at a campaign rally in Wasilla, Alaska, on Tuesday for Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming. NBC News and The Hill report that the two men co-owned a repair shop and pleaded guilty in 2022 to Clean Air Act violations involving devices that monitored diesel emissions. According to the New York Post and other right-leaning outlets, Trump said the men were wrongly targeted by the Biden administration for modifying engines in cold weather. The New York Post and Just the News also report that Trump had earlier pardoned another Alaska mechanic, Mac Spurlock, in July.

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 pardons on stage at a campaign rally in Wasilla, Alaska, on Tuesday for Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming.

    Reported byFar Left1Left4Center1Right2Far Right3See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Left
    NBC News, Bloomberg, The New York Times, CBS News
    Center
    The Hill
    Right
    Washington Examiner, New York Post
    Far Right
    Just the News, The Epoch Times, RedState

  2. Czubak and Fleming co-owned a repair shop and pleaded guilty in 2022 to Clean Air Act violations for tampering with diesel emissions monitoring devices.

    Reported byFar Left1Left3Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Left
    NBC News, Bloomberg, CBS News
    Center
    The Hill

  3. Trump said the two men were wrongly charged by the Biden administration over changes they made to diesel engines.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight2Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    Washington Examiner, New York Post
    Far Right
    Just the News, RedState

  4. Trump had earlier pardoned another Alaska mechanic, Mac Spurlock, in July.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    New York Post
    Far Right
    Just the News, RedState

  5. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the shop tampered with monitoring devices on at least 37 vehicles.

    One outletHuffPost· Far Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

  • Trump pardoned three Alaska truckers.

    The New York Post reports three truckers pardoned and says Trump had previously pardoned Mac Spurlock; most other outlets report two men pardoned on stage Tuesday.

How each side tells it

Compare views

Every side reports that Trump signed pardons for Zachary Czubak and Patrick Fleming on stage at a rally in Alaska. Left outlets stress the guilty pleas and the campaign setting, while right outlets present the men as wrongly targeted by the Biden administration.

  • the left

    5 outlets

    Left headlines name the Clean Air Act guilty pleas and the rally setting; the New York Times frames the pardons as a giveaway in Trump’s midterm pitch, and CBS calls the men auto workers.

    Trump pardons 2 auto workers on stage during rally in Alaska
    CBS NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The Hill’s headline states the pardons and the Clean Air Act charges plainly, with the rally as the setting and no claim by Trump; only one center outlet appears in this sample.

    Trump pardons diesel mechanics for Clean Air Act violations at Alaska rally
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    5 outlets · 1 opinion

    Right headlines cast the men as victims of Biden-era prosecutions, the far-right RedState and Just the News using hounded and targeted; the Washington Examiner and Epoch Times lead with Trump’s remarks or promises.

    Trump issues pardons for Alaskan truckers who were targeted by Biden admin
    Just the NewsFar RightAll 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

    financial rewards to votersGiveaway

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right5

    wrongly targetedtoutinggrave crimemalicious thing

In the outlets’ own words

  • Absolutist framing

    wrongly targetedMore neutral: who were prosecuted

    The outlet states as settled that the men were wrongly targeted, a contested point the supplied coverage does not establish.

    …broadened the pardons at his rally, expanding it to two other drivers who were wrongly targeted for trying to fix truck engines.

    Used byJust the News (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    toutingMore neutral: highlighting

    The word presents Trump's energy announcements as promotion, adding a judgement that a neutral verb would not.

    Trump signs pardons for Alaska diesel mechanics onstage during rally touting major energy deals

    Used byFox News (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    financial rewards to votersMore neutral: promises to voters

    The phrase characterizes the president's offers as payments to voters, a judgement about purpose that the excerpt does not establish.

    The president has stepped up his offers of financial rewards to voters with just weeks until the midterms.

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

  • Sensational language

    GiveawayMore neutral: Clemency

    The word frames the pardons as a handout meant to win votes, a judgement about motive that the excerpt does not establish.

    Trump Adds Another Giveaway to His Midterm Pitch: Pardons.

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

Show 3 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Sensational language

    grave crimeMore neutral: offense

    Adds gravity in the outlet’s own voice to a charge the coverage describes as contested.

    …Fleming — who were targeted and convicted by the Biden administration for the grave crime of modifying diesel engines in the cold-weather state.

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    malicious thingMore neutral: such a thing

    Attributes malicious intent to the mechanics in the outlet’s own voice, a motive the sources do not establish.

    Why would the mechanics do such a malicious thing?

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    HoundedMore neutral: prosecuted

    Presents the prosecution as persecution, a judgement the outlet makes in its own voice.

    'I Love Doing This Stuff': Trump Pardons Two Alaska Mechanics Hounded by the Biden Administration

    Used byRedState (Far Right)

Words quoted from someone else (3)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.

  • Partisan shorthand

    Quoted

    green new scamMore neutral: Green New Deal climate rules

    A partisan label for climate rules that contains the conclusion that they are a scam.

    …for fixing the engines on their trucks in ways that “violated the Democrats’ green new scam.” “They want to put them in jail for 10 years because they fixed an engine.

    Quoted byWashington Examiner (Right)

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

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    Clean as a newborn baby’s a**More neutral: Trump pardons two truckers at Alaska rally

    Places a crude remark at the centre of the headline, which emphasizes vulgarity over the pardon itself.

    Trump pardons two truckers at Alaska rally: ‘Clean as a newborn baby’s a**’

    Quoted byWashington Examiner (Right)

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

  • Absolutist framing

    Quoted

    wrongfully chargedMore neutral: charged during the Biden administration

    The headline puts Trump's characterization of the prosecution into the outlet's headline, which presents a contested claim as settled.

    Trump pardons diesel mechanics ‘wrongfully charged’ during Biden admin at Alaska rally

    Quoted byNew York Post (Right)

    These are Donald Trump’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

5 outlets

Leads with

  • guilty pleas under the Clean Air Act
  • pardons as an unusually public use of clemency
  • pardons as a midterm campaign reward

Leaves out

  • Trump’s claim that the men were wrongly charged over cold-weather engine work

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

See the 5 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • HuffPostFar Left

    Trump Pardons Men At Alaska Rally Who Pleaded Guilty To Violating Clean Air Act

    “You’re as clean as a newborn baby’s ass,” said the president.

    Read at HuffPost (opens in a new tab)
  • CBS NewsLeft

    Trump pardons 2 auto workers on stage during rally in Alaska

    President Trump granted onstage pardons to two Alaska auto shop owners who pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act during a rally Tuesday — an unusually public use of the president's clemency power.

    Read at CBS News (opens in a new tab)
    1 more from CBS News
  • The New York TimesLeft

    Trump Adds Another Sensational language“Giveaway”The word frames the pardons as a handout meant to win votes, a judgement about motive that the excerpt does not establish.More neutral: ClemencyDisagree with this highlight? to His Midterm Pitch: Pardons.

    The president has stepped up his offers of Loaded modifier“financial rewards to voters”The phrase characterizes the president's offers as payments to voters, a judgement about purpose that the excerpt does not establish.More neutral: promises to votersDisagree with this highlight? with just weeks until the midterms. On Tuesday at a rally in Alaska, he announced pardons.

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

    Trump Pardons Two Alaska Mechanics Over Clean Air Act Violations

    President Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned two Alaska men who were convicted of violating the Clean Air Act for removing air pollution monitors from diesel vehicles.

    Read at Bloomberg (opens in a new tab)
  • NBC NewsLeft

    Trump pardons two vehicle repair shop owners during Alaska rally

    During his rally in Alaska, President Trump pardoned Zachary Czuback and Patrick Fleming, co-owners of a vehicle repair shop in Anchorage. Both pleaded guilty in 2022 to violating the Clean Air Act by tampering with federally mandated and monitored devices that tracked vehicles’ …

    Read at NBC News (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • the Clean Air Act charges
  • the pardons for diesel mechanics
  • the campaign rally setting
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    Trump pardons diesel mechanics for Clean Air Act violations at Alaska rally

    President Trump issued pardons at a campaign rally in Alaska on Tuesday for two diesel mechanics who were previously charged with and plead guilty to violating the Clean Air Act. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

From the right

5 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • Biden administration targeting the men
  • Trump’s remarks at the rally
  • pardons as part of campaigns backing Republicans
  • cold-weather engine repairs described as the reason for the charges

Leaves out

  • U.S. Attorney’s Office figures that the shop removed emissions equipment on at least 37 vehicles

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

See the 6 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

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

    18 min later

    Its first report, Oct 13, 9:56 PM EDT

  • Center

    33 min later

    Its first report, Oct 13, 10:12 PM EDT

  • Right

    First to report

    Washington Examiner, Oct 13, 9:38 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Washington ExaminerRightOct 13, 9:38 PM EDT
  2. NBC NewsLeftOct 13, 9:56 PM EDT
  3. The HillCenterOct 13, 10:12 PM EDT
  4. Fox NewsFar RightOct 13, 10:13 PM EDT
  5. BloombergLeftOct 13, 10:25 PM EDT
  6. New York PostRightOct 13, 11:32 PM EDT
  7. The New York TimesLeftOct 13, 11:49 PM EDT
  8. CBS NewsLeftOct 14, 12:01 AM EDT
  9. The Epoch TimesFar RightOct 14, 12:10 AM EDT
  10. HuffPostFar LeftOct 14, 11:32 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out. Just the News gave only a date, so it is not placed.

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