PoliticsBreakingUpdated 17 hr ago

Undercover video appears to show El-Sayed campaign volunteer calling Americans idiots

Coverage spectrum

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

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

The Midwesterner published undercover video that The Daily Wire, Townhall, The Western Journal and Newsweek report on. The video appears to show a man identified as T.J. Wolfgram, an outreach captain for Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign, calling Americans “idiots” in a conversation with an undercover operative. The Daily Wire dates the conversation to October 15. Right-side outlets say Wolfgram dismissed concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood and said he might support some of its activities if he were more informed. Newsweek reports that Wolfgram was a volunteer captain rather than a paid staffer, and that it could not independently verify The Midwesterner’s description of his role. President Donald Trump has accused El-Sayed of links to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

New to Mantle? It shows who is covering each story across the political spectrum, and highlights loaded words. How to read a storyHide the guide

The coverage spectrum counts the outlets covering a story at each of five points. A short or missing segment means that part of the spectrum is mostly quiet.

Governor Loaded verb“slams”It adds drama to what was said. The governor criticized the lawmakers; “slams” makes it sound like a fight.More neutral: criticizes lawmakers over budget delay

Highlights mark words that carry a judgement. Tap one to see why, and what a neutral writer would say. Here it is “criticizes”.

The 5-point spectrum

Far Left
Voices that strongly advocate for progressive policies and systemic change.
Left
Mainstream liberal perspectives focusing on social equality and regulation.
Center
Sources that prioritize neutral reporting and balanced viewpoints.
Right
Mainstream conservative perspectives focusing on market freedom and tradition.
Far Right
Voices that strongly advocate for conservative values and limited government.

How we measure bias

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

Undercover video appears to show T.J. Wolfgram, an outreach captain for Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign, calling Americans “idiots”.
Reported byCenter1Far Right3See the outletsHide the outlets
Center
Newsweek
Far Right
The Daily Wire, Townhall, The Western Journal
The recording was made on October 15 in a conversation with an undercover operative.
One outletThe Daily Wire· Far Right
Wolfgram is reported to have said he might support some of the Muslim Brotherhood’s activities if he were more informed.
Reported byCenter1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Center
Newsweek
Far Right
The Daily Wire
Newsweek reports that Wolfgram was a volunteer captain, not a paid staffer, and that his title could not be independently verified.
One outletNewsweek· Center
President Donald Trump has accused El-Sayed of links to the Muslim Brotherhood, and right-side outlets describe the family’s ties as documented.
Reported byCenter1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
Center
Newsweek
Far Right
Townhall

What is contested

Where accounts differ

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

Wolfgram is a staffer and outreach captain for El-Sayed’s campaign.
Right-side outlets identify him as El-Sayed’s outreach captain or staffer. Newsweek reports he was a volunteer captain rather than a paid staffer and could not independently verify his title.
El-Sayed’s family has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Townhall calls the ties well-documented. Newsweek presents the links as accusations that President Donald Trump has made.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides present report that an undercover video shows an El-Sayed campaign outreach captain calling Americans idiots and discussing the Muslim Brotherhood. Right-side outlets present the remarks as evidence of hidden views and link them to El-Sayed’s family ties, while Newsweek notes it could not verify the speaker’s title.

the left
No coverage yet
No left-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.
the center
1 outlet
Newsweek’s headline states the remarks and the defense of the Muslim Brotherhood as its own assertion, while its body hedges with “appears to show” and notes it could not verify the speaker's title.
Abdul El-Sayed Volunteer Calls Americans Idiots, Defends Muslim Brotherhood
NewsweekCenterAll center headlines
the right
2 outlets · 1 opinion
Right-side headlines, all from Far Right outlets, call him an El-Sayed staffer and say he defends the Muslim Brotherhood; the Western Journal opinion piece adds “devastating” and “true feelings”.
El-Sayed Staffer Defends Muslim Brotherhood, Calls Americans ‘Idiots’ Days Before Midterms
The Daily WireFar 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.

Left
Has not covered this story.
Center1
promoted by President Donald Trump
Right5
gets very touchywell-documented tieshow leftists view American voters in generalSlip

In the outlets’ own words

Loaded modifier
gets very touchyMore neutral: does not directly answer questions about it
Characterizes the candidate’s demeanor as a judgement rather than describing what he said or did.
El-Sayed gets very touchy when asked about it, but there are well-documented ties between El-Sayed's family…
Used byTownhall (Far Right)
Absolutist framing
well-documented tiesMore neutral: reported ties
Presents the family’s ties to the Brotherhood as settled, while the other coverage describes them as accusations.
El-Sayed gets very touchy when asked about it, but there are well-documented ties between El-Sayed's family and the Muslim Brotherhood — including a Substack…
Used byTownhall (Far Right)
Absolutist framing
how leftists view American voters in generalMore neutral: a view one campaign volunteer expressed about American voters
Generalizes one staffer’s remarks to a whole political side as if established.
And his three words should sum up how leftists view American voters in general.
Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)
Loaded verb
SlipMore neutral: Shows
Says the remarks were an accidental revelation of his true views, which the recording alone does not establish.
…El-Sayed Staffer Lets His True Feelings About Americans and the Muslim Brotherhood Slip in Devastating Undercover Video
Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)

Show 2 more phrasesShow fewer

Sensational language
Devastating Undercover VideoMore neutral: Undercover Video
Judges the impact of the video before readers have weighed it.
…Lets His True Feelings About Americans and the Muslim Brotherhood Slip in Devastating Undercover Video
Used byThe Western Journal (Far Right)
Loaded verb
promoted by President Donald TrumpMore neutral: made by President Donald Trump
Frames Trump’s accusations as something he is spreading, rather than neutrally saying he made them.
Wolfgram addressing accusations promoted by President Donald Trump that El-Sayed has links to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Used byNewsweek (Center)

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

0 outlets

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

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

Wolfgram’s volunteer status
the footage as the basis of the story
Trump’s accusations about Brotherhood links

See the headline from the centerHide the headlines

NewsweekCenter
Abdul El-Sayed Volunteer Calls Americans Idiots, Defends Muslim Brotherhood
Footage depicts a volunteer for El-Sayed's Senate campaign referring to Americans as "idiots."
17 hr agoRead at Newsweek (opens in a new tab)

From the right

2 outlets · 1 opinion

Leads with

the “idiots” remark
Wolfgram’s campaign role
El-Sayed’s Brotherhood links
hidden-camera video as evidence

Leaves out

that Wolfgram is a volunteer, not a paid staffer
that his title could not be independently verified

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

See the 3 headlines from the rightHide the headlines

TownhallFar Right
El-Sayed Staffer Defends Muslim Brotherhood, Says Concerns Are 'Because Americans Are Idiots'
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood have been a major problem for his campaign in recent weeks. El-Sayed Loaded modifier“gets very touchy”Characterizes the candidate’s demeanor as a judgement rather than describing what he said or did.More neutral: does not directly answer questions about itDisagree with this highlight? when asked about it, but there are Absolutist framing“well-documented ties”Presents the family’s ties to the Brotherhood as settled, while the other coverage describes them as accusations.More neutral: reported tiesDisagree with this highlight? between El-Sayed's family and the Muslim Brotherhood — …
2 days agoRead at Townhall (opens in a new tab)
The Daily WireFar Right
El-Sayed Staffer Defends Muslim Brotherhood, Calls Americans ‘Idiots’ Days Before Midterms
A staffer for Michigan Democrat Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed was caught on undercover video dismissing concerns about the Muslim Brotherhood, calling Americans “idiots” and saying he might even support some of the organization’s activities if he was more informed. T.J. …
2 days agoRead at The Daily Wire (opens in a new tab)
The Western JournalFar RightOpinion
Watch: El-Sayed Staffer Lets His True Feelings About Americans and the Muslim Brotherhood Loaded verb“Slip”Says the remarks were an accidental revelation of his true views, which the recording alone does not establish.More neutral: ShowsDisagree with this highlight? in Sensational language“Devastating Undercover Video”Judges the impact of the video before readers have weighed it.More neutral: Undercover VideoDisagree with this highlight?
A ranking member of Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s organization has said the quiet part aloud — and there was an undercover camera rolling. In a video published Monday by the
2 days agoRead at The Western Journal (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
No report yet
From the outlets Mantle follows
Center
2 days 4 hr later
Its first report, Oct 28, 2:38 PM EDT
Right
First to report
The Daily Wire, Oct 26, 9:55 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order

The Daily WireFar RightOct 26, 9:55 AM EDT
TownhallFar RightOct 26, 12:45 PM EDT
NewsweekCenterOct 28, 2:38 PM EDT

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

Undercover video appears to show El-Sayed campaign volunteer calling Americans idiots

Coverage spectrum

Key points

Where accounts differ

Compare views

the left

the center

the right

Language to notice

In the outlets’ own words

Side by side

From the left

From the center

Abdul El-Sayed Volunteer Calls Americans Idiots, Defends Muslim Brotherhood

From the right

El-Sayed Staffer Defends Muslim Brotherhood, Says Concerns Are 'Because Americans Are Idiots'

El-Sayed Staffer Defends Muslim Brotherhood, Calls Americans ‘Idiots’ Days Before Midterms

How the coverage built up

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