Media spins Trump, Zelenskyy Oval Office meeting: Bias Breakdown

WELCOME TO BIAS BREAKDOWN.

I’M YOUR HOST – KARAH RUCKER.

A HISTORIC MOMENT IN THE OVAL OFFICE –

WHEN A TENSE CONVERSATION BETWEEN PRESIDENT TRUMP, VICE PRESIDENT VANCE, AND UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY ON FULL DISPLAY.

THE MOMENT – HAS CONSUMED THE NEWS CYCLE –

WITH OPINIONS OVER WHAT HAPPENED –

LARGELY SPLIT AMONG PARTY LINES.

IT’S NOT MY PLACE TO TELL YOU HOW YOU SHOULD FEEL  – 

AND YOU ALSO DON’T NEED TO KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT.

BUT LEFT AND RIGHT LEANING MEDIA – MADE THEIR OPINIONS KNOWN – COVERING THE MOMENT THROUGH THEIR PREFERRED POLITICAL LENS.

THE NARRATIVES BEING TOLD AND A MISLEADING FACT-CHECK.

THAT’S THE FOCUS OF TODAY’S BIAS BREAKDOWN.

MAINSTREAM NETWORK ANCHORS HAD CONTRASTING TAKEAWAYS OVER HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP HANDLED THE MEETING WITH ZELENSKYY.

NETWORK COMMENTATORS ON THE LEFT –

CALLING IT A GIFT TO RUSSIA.

“Now standing against our allies of the last 80 years, now siding with russia. No longer siding with the free world, now siding with the authoritarian governments in the world.”

“And maybe as some have speculated, that was a premeditated ambush.   

“Or maybe that was just a big ol gift to his pal vladimir putin.” 

NETWORKS ON THE RIGHT LIKE FOX NEWS – LARGELY MIRRORED THE POLITICAL RIGHT’S REACTION –

FOCUSING ON ZELENSKYY’S ACTIONS DURING THE MEETING..

“Have you ever seen a foreign leader come into the oval office and talk this way? Everyone knows if zelensky would’ve come in, signed the deal, showed some gratitude, it would’ve gone a long way.”

“We’re not going to be disrespected, we’re not going to swindled we will not be bullied. The ukrainian president frankly in many ways disgraced himself.” 

LET’S LOOK AT THE CONTRASTING NARRATIVES IN THE HEADLINES FROM NEWS OUTLETS WITH A LEFT AND RIGHT BIAS.

THE FOLLOWING NEWS ARTICLES – ARE **NOT OPINION PIECES.

THEY ARE LABELED AS NEWS ON THEIR RESPECTIVE WEBSITES.

FROM THE ATLANTIC – RATED AS A LEFT NEWS OUTLET.

“THE REAL REASON TRUMP BERATED ZELENSKY.”

THE SUBHEADLINE – “HE SIMPLY LIKES VLADIMIR PUTIN BETTER.”

BY USING “BERATED” IT MAKES TRUMP’S ACTIONS SEEM HARSH – **SENSATIONALIZING THE STORY.

THE SUBHEADLINE PRESENTS AN OPINION AS FACT – AS THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE IN THE ARTICLE THAT TRUMP EVER SAID HE LIKES PUTIN MORE – IT WAS RATHER THE WRITER’S PERSONAL ASSUMPTION.

THE NEW YORK TIMES WROTE – “IN SHOWDOWN WITH ZELENSKY, TRUMP TAKES OFFENSE ON PUTIN’S BEHALF.”

THE PHRASE “ON PUTIN’S BEHALF” SUGGESTS TRUMP WAS NOT ACTING IN U.S. INTERESTS BUT RATHER DEFENDING PUTIN – SHAPING THE READER’S PERCEPTION BEFORE READING THE ARTICLE.

THE SUBHEADLINE – “Never in the past few decades at least has an American president engaged in such an angry, scathing attack on a visiting foreign leader in the Oval Office.”

BY DESCRIBING TRUMP’S WORDS AS AN “ANGRY, SCATHING ATTACK” – THE WRITER CHOOSES EMOTIONALLY CHARGED WORDS TO PROVOKE A CERTAIN REACTION.

IN CONTRAST – NEWS OUTLETS WITH A RIGHT POLITICAL BIAS –

BREITBART WROTE – “Trump Levels Zelensky”

THE WORD CHOICE “LEVELS” PAINTS ZELENSKY AS DEFEATED – **SENSATIONALIZING THE STORY.

THE SUBHEADLINE – “President Donald Trump leveled Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky during a tense exchange in front of the media, reminding Zelensky that he is not in the position to tell America what it is going to feel in relation to their war.”

THIS IMPLIES ZELENSKY OVERSTEPPED AND WAS PUT IN HIS PLACE – SHAPING A READER’S PERCEPTION PRIOR TO READING THE ARTICLE.

LASTLY – THE FEDERALIST WROTE “In Oval Office Temper Tantrum, Zelensky Blows Up Peace Talks.”

“TEMPER TANTRUM” IS NOT A NEUTRAL WORD CHOICE – AS IT PORTRAYS ZELENSKY AS CHILDISH.

THE SUBHEADLINE – SUGGESTS ZELENSKY “ATTEMPTED TO STRONG-ARM THE UNITED STATES.”

ZELENSKY’ “STRONG ARMING” THE U.S. IS THE WRITER’S INTERPRETATION OF EVENTS – STATED AS FACT.

YOU MAY HAVE HEARD SOME OF THOSE HEADLINES AND AGREED WITH THEIR TAKE AND OPINION – BUT THE REPORTS INCLUDED SPECIFIC TYPES OF MEDIA BIAS IN THEIR FRAMING OF THE FACTS.

LET’S GO OVER SOME OF THE FACTS OF THE STORY – STARTING WITH THE LEAD UP TO THE MEETING.

BOTH REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS – LINDSAY GRAHAM, CHRIS COONS, AMY KLOBUCHAR, AND MARK KELLY – MET WITH ZELENSKYY AT A NEARBY HOTEL HOURS BEFORE HE WENT TO THE WHITE HOUSE.

THEY EMPHASIZED THREE POINTS ACCORDING TO THE LAWMAKERS PRESENT.

DON’T BE CONTENTIOUS. EXPRESS GRATITUDE. AND SIGN THE MINERALS AGREEMENT – A DEAL THAT WOULD ALLOW THE U.S. ACCESS TO UKRAINE’S NATURAL RESOURCES – WHICH IN THEORY WOULD DETER RUSSIA CONSIDERING  AMERICA’S INCREASED **PRESENCE IN UKRAINE’S MINING INDUSTRY.

WHILE U.S. ADVISERS CALLED THE DEAL A “SHARED INVESTMENT” – ZELENSKYY WANTED FURTHER LONGTERM “SECURITY GUARANTEES” FROM THE U.S. NOT INCLUDED IN THE MINERALS AGREEMENT LEADING UP TO FRIDAY.

DESPITE SOME DIFFERENCES –

BOTH SIDES SIGNALED THEY WERE READY TO SIGN AS TRUMP’S TREASURY SECRETARY ASSURED UKRAINE THIS WAS “THE FOUNDATION FOR A LARGER PEACE DEAL” IN THE FUTURE.

THE WHITE HOUSE HAD A ROOM ALL SET TO GO FOR THE PRESIDENTS’ SIGNATURES.

BUT PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED SIGNING – WAS THE PUBLIC MEETING IN THE OVAL OFFICE.

FOR 40 MINUTES – ZELENSKYY, TRUMP AND VANCE ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM THE PRESS CORDIALLY.

THEN ZELENSKYY BROUGHT UP HIS REQUEST FOR FURTHER SECURITY GUARANTEES AFTER VANCE SUGGESTED DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS.

ZELENSKYY COUNTERED BY QUESTIONING RUSSIA’S ABILITY TO HONOR ITS SIDE OF A POTENTIAL CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT – CITING RUSSIA’S HISTORY OF BREAKING DIPLOMATIC DEALS.

IT WAS THIS CONVERSATION – THAT WOULD LEAD TO ZELENSKY LEAVING WITH NO DEAL SIGNED.

“The path to peace and prosperity is maybe engaging in diplomacy. 

“he broke the ceasefire he killed our people he didn’t exchange prisoners we signed the exchange of prisoners but he didn’t do it. What kind of diplomacy jd are you speaking about?”

“Youre not in a good position you don’t have the cards, with us, you have the cards, you’re gambling with millions of lives, you’re gambling with world war 3.”     

THIS STORY –

HAS A LOT OF LAYERS TO IT. 

AND WHILE SEARCHING FOR DIFFERENCES IN THE MEDIA’S REPORTING OVER WHAT HAPPENED IN THE OVAL OFFICE –

I NOTICED ANOTHER DISCREPANCY IN NEWS COVERAGE.

“FACT CHECKING” VANCE’S QUESTION OVER WHETHER ZELENSKYY HAD SAID “THANK YOU.”

THIS ANGLE – WAS ONE LARGELY REPORTED BY LEFT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS.

RIGHT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS DIDN’T DO “FACT-CHECK WRITE UPS” OVER VANCE’S COMMENT.

CNN – A LEFT-LEANING NEWS OUTLET – PUBLISHED “Fact check: 33 times Zelensky thanked Americans and US leaders.”

During a remarkably combative Oval Office meeting on Friday, both President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he was insufficiently thankful. Here are 33 previous examples of Zelensky thanking or expressing gratitude toward the United States.”

WHILE CNN GOES ON TO LIST DOZENS OF TIMES ZELENSKYY HAS THANKED THE U.S. – CNN’S EXAMPLES CAME FROM OUTSIDE OF THE OVAL OFFICE MEETING.

THESE WERE IRRELEVANT TO VANCE’S QUESTION OF WHETHER ZELENSKYY HAD SAID THANK YOU DURING THIS SPECIFIC SIT DOWN.

HERE’S VANCE’S QUESTION IN FULL – IT’S A QUICK SOUNBYTE. TAKE A LISTEN.

“Have you said thank you once in this entire meeting? No in this entire meeting, have you said thank you?”

THE FACT-CHECKING SITE POLITIFACT – WHICH IS RATED AS HAVING A LEFT-LEANING POLITICAL BIAS –

AND PBS – ALSO A LEFT-LEANING OUTLET – SHARED THE SAME FACT CHECK:

“VANCE: ZELENSKYY HAS NOT SAID THANK YOU TO THE U.S. FOR ITS SUPPORT OF UKRAINE.”

“THIS IS INACCURATE” “ZELENSKYY HAS EXPRESSED HIS GRATITUDE BEFORE AND AFTER TRUMP TOOK OFFICE.”

POLITIFACT AND PBS LEAVING OUT THE CONTEXT THAT VANCE WAS SPECIFICALLY ASKING ABOUT THAT MEETING.

WHILE VANCE WAS ASKING IF ZELENSKYY HAD SAID THANK YOU IN THE 40 MINUTES LEADING UP TO HIS QUESTION –

WE DID FIND TWO INSTANCES OF ZELENSKY SAYING THANK YOU TO TRUMP DURING THAT MEETING. THE FIRST IS DURING ZELENSKY’S OPENING REMARKS.

“the really exciting moment will be when they stop the shooting and we end up with a deal and i think we’re fairly close. Its an honor to have you. Please.”

“Thanks so much mr president, thank you for invitation.”

AND THEN AFTER ZELENSKY SHOWED THE PRESIDENT PHOTOS OF RETURNED PRISONERS FROM RUSSIA IN POOR PHYSICAL CONDITIONS.

“Yeah that’s tough.”

“So i wanted to show you this, thank you very much.”

WHILE PRESIDENT TRUMP AND VANCE’S ASSERTIONS OF ZELENSKYY NOT BEING GRATEFUL ENOUGH HAVE MADE HEADLINES –

PRESIDENT BIDEN HAD A SIMILAR TAKEAWAY AFTER A PHONE CALL WITH THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT IN 2022.

TAKE A LISTEN.

“According to these officials, biden finally just got frustrated and lost his temper and told zelenskyy look you could be a little bit more grateful.

‘President biden knew there was going to be a point when the american people, members of congress, people would start pushing back on the billions …he knew the narrative needed to be zelensky was grateful if the support was going to continue.

AMERICANS SUPPORT FOR CONTINUED AID TO UKRAINE – AND FOR ZELENSKY – HAS DIPPED SINCE 2022 – AS SHOWN HERE BY CNN.

“…up like a rocket ship my goodness.”

“Feels toward ukraine have changed also….through the floor in 2024.

THIS STORY HAS BEEN EVOLVING QUICKLY SINCE FRIDAY’S FALLOUT IN THE OVAL OFFICE.

TRUMP HAS SINCE PAUSED ARMS TO UKRAINE – NO LONGER FINANCING WEAPONS SALES TO ZELENSKY AND IS CONSIDERING FREEZING WEAPONS SHIPMENTS FROM U.S. STOCK PILES.

ZELENSKY HAS REPORTEDLY SAID HE STILL WANTS TO SIGN THE MINERAL AGREEMENT.

BUT SOME REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMEN HAVE SUGGESTED THAT DEAL MAY NO LONGER BE ON THE TABLE –

WITH SOME SAYING ZELENSKY WILL HAVE TO APOLOGIZE IN ORDER TO REVIVE THE DEAL.

AND THE PUBLIC DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN ZELENSKY AND TRUMP –

CONTINUE.

ZELENSKYY TELLING THE ASSOCIATED PRESS – AN END TO THE WAR IS QUOTE “VERY, VERY FAR AWAY.”

AN ANSWER TRUMP – DISAGREED WITH MONDAY.

“He said he thinks the war is going to go on for a long time, and he better not be right about that.”

22:08

“Now maybe someone doesn’t want to make a deal, and if someone doesn’t want to make a deal i don’t think that person will be around for long.”

IN SUMMARY –

THE WAR IN UKRAINE – IS AT THREE YEARS AND COUNTING.

PRESIDENT TRUMP – A LITTLE OVER A MONTH IN OFFICE –

HAD A MEETING WITH UKRAINE’S PRESIDENT THAT DIDN’T GO AS EXPECTED AS TENSIONS BOILED OVER – AND THE TWO SIDES DISAGREED ON A PATH TO PEACE.

LEFT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS – LARGELY CONDEMNED TRUMP – AS HE CALLED ZELENSKY’S ACTIONS “DISGRACEFUL” IN A PUBLIC SETTING.

RIGHT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS – LARGELY CONDEMNED ZELENSKY –

WHO LEFT THE WHITE HOUSE WITH NO DEAL AFTER HE BROUGHT UP FURTHER SECURITY GUARANTEES THAT UKRAINE WANTS FROM THE U.S.

THE OVAL OFFICE MOMENT –

IS ONE THAT WILL LIKELY BE RECOUNTED OVER AND OVER –

AS THE REACTION FROM BOTH SIDES HAS BEEN STRONG AND – CONFLICTING.

WORD CHOICES IN MEDIA HEADLINES REFLECT A SENSATIONALIST BIAS TO FIT A LEFT OR RIGHT POLITICAL NARRATIVE.

LEAVING THE VIEWER WITH ALREADY PERCEIVED NOTIONS BEFORE EVEN READING THE ARTICLES – GUIDING READERS THROUGH THEIR PREFERRED PERCEPTION.

AND THAT’S YOUR BIAS BREAKDOWN.