Joe diGenova resigns from Trump probe after dispute with AG
The prosecutor overseeing an investigation into former officials targeting Donald Trump has stepped down.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Joseph diGenova
Photograph: Shawn T. Moore via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
What this story says
- Joe diGenova has resigned as the lead prosecutor in a Justice Department investigation into former officials who targeted President Donald Trump.
- DiGenova's resignation occurred after a contentious phone call with Attorney General Todd Blanche.
- Disagreements between diGenova and Justice Department headquarters included his requests for a SCIF and additional lawyers.
- The probe has been investigating figures such as former CIA director John Brennan, and diGenova's departure may cause further delays.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 22 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 1 of the 23 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
59/100
Hype
41/100
23 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
Only 2 of the 22 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Joe diGenova, the prosecutor leading a Justice Department investigation into former officials who targeted President Donald Trump, has resigned. His departure followed a tense phone call with Attorney General Todd Blanche. The probe has been investigating figures including former CIA director John Brennan and other Trump political critics. DiGenova's resignation could lead to further delays in an investigation that had anticipated charges earlier this year.
Disagreements over resources and scope
According to CNN, disagreements between diGenova and Justice Department headquarters included his request for a secure room, known as a SCIF, to be built at the Fort Pierce office for storing classified materials. Justice Department officials reportedly suggested using a SCIF at an FBI office miles away. DiGenova also sought more lawyers for his team, though Justice Department officials disputed claims that resources were denied. The investigation has been looking into former government employees involved in investigations of Trump over the past decade, including those related to the 2016 Russian election interference inquiry and the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.
What the coverage left out
None of the reports printed below mention the specific timeline for anticipated charges, beyond stating that charges had been expected earlier this year and that diGenova's departure could cause further delays.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 5 times, most recently on 15 Sept 2026, 18:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
9 rated outlets
- The left-rated outlets reported that Joe diGenova resigned from a Justice Department probe after a tense phone call with Attorney General Todd Blanche. This departure, they stated, could cause further delays in the investigation into figures involved in past probes of Donald Trump.
- These reports noted that diGenova had been brought in to lead the inquiry in April. They also mentioned that career prosecutors had raised concerns about the strength of the case and that diGenova had clashed with Justice Department officials over the investigation's pace and resources.
- The outlets stated that diGenova sought to block lawyers from Justice Department headquarters from assisting the probe. They also reported that he had pushed for a secure facility for classified material, but was told to use an existing one. DiGenova rejected criticism of his approach, stating that pursuing indictments without evidence presented an ethical problem.
Centre
11 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports consistently highlighted the disruption and potential delays caused by Joe diGenova's resignation from the Justice Department probe. The digests from Political Wire, KRDO, KVIA, KEYT, KMIZ, KESQ, and kioncentralcoast.com all used headlines that focused on the resignation upending the investigation. These reports detailed the tense phone call with Attorney General Todd Blanche and the disagreements over resources, such as the request for a SCIF and additional lawyers, as contributing factors to the turmoil.
Right
2 rated outlets
We have not written our reading of the right coverage of this story. The right-rated outlets that ran it are listed below.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Joe diGenova resigns from Trump probe after dispute with AG?
- Of the 22 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 41% are rated left, 50% are rated centre, 9% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 23. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Joe diGenova resigns from Trump probe after dispute with AG left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 22 rated outlets on this story, 41% are rated left, 50% are rated centre, 9% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Joe diGenova resigns from Trump probe after dispute with AG biased?
- Joe diGenova resigns from Trump probe after dispute with AG is one event reported by 23 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Joe diGenova resigns from Trump probe after dispute with AG?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Joe diGenova resigns from Trump probe after dispute with AG?
- 23 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Why did Joe diGenova resign?
- Joe diGenova resigned as the top prosecutor overseeing a Justice Department probe into former officials targeting Donald Trump. His resignation followed a tense phone call with Attorney General Todd Blanche and disagreements over resources and the investigation's scope.
- What was the investigation about?
- The investigation was a Justice Department probe into former officials who targeted President Donald Trump. It has been looking into figures such as former CIA director John Brennan and other Trump political critics involved in investigations of Trump over the past decade.
- What disagreements led to the resignation?
- Disagreements included Joe diGenova's request for a SCIF (secure room) for classified materials and his push for more lawyers. Justice Department headquarters reportedly suggested alternative arrangements for the SCIF and disputed claims of resource denial.
- Could this resignation delay the probe?
- Yes, diGenova's departure could cause further delays in the investigation. The probe had anticipated charges earlier this year, and his exit may impact the momentum and timeline for bringing any potential cases.
Read it at the source
23 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
9- How a 'top Trump consigliere' failed MAGA’s mission at DOJ (opens Alternet in a new tab)
- Trump's made man fails to get indictment (opens Salon in a new tab)
- Why an Old Trump Loyalist’s DOJ Departure Is So Devastating for Trump (opens The New Republic in a new tab)
The New Republic — is The New Republic biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Joe diGenova Resigns After Tense Blanche Call Upends DOJ Probe Into Trump's Top Foes Amid New Delays (opens IBTimes UK in a new tab)
IBTimes UK — is IBTimes UK biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Exclusive: Tense phone call and resignation upend Justice Department probe into Trump’s top foes (opens ABC57 in a new tab)
- Prosecutor details ongoing 'grand conspiracy' probe into Trump's ... (opens Politico in a new tab)
- Joe diGenova Exit Came After 'Tense' Todd Blanche Call: Rpt (opens Mediaite in a new tab)
- MAGA prosecutor abruptly quit after tense phone call with Todd Blanche: report (opens Raw Story in a new tab)
Centre
11- Exclusive: Tight Call and Resignation Disturb Justice Department Inquiry Into Trump's Opponents · Global Voices (opens KEZI 9 News in a new tab)
KEZI 9 News — is KEZI 9 News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Resignation Upends Probe Into Trump’s Top Foes (opens Political Wire in a new tab)
Political Wire — is Political Wire biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Exclusive: Tense phone call and resignation upend Justice Department probe into Trump’s top foes (opens KDRV in a new tab)
- Exclusive: Tense phone call and resignation upend Justice Department probe into Trump’s top foes (opens kimt.com in a new tab)
- Exclusive: Tense phone call and resignation upend Justice Department probe into Trump’s top foes (opens kioncentralcoast.com in a new tab)
kioncentralcoast.com — is kioncentralcoast.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Exclusive: Tense phone call and resignation upend Justice Department probe into Trump’s top foes (opens KESQ in a new tab)
- Exclusive: Tense phone call and resignation upend Justice Department probe into Trump’s top foes (opens KMIZ in a new tab)
- Exclusive: Tense phone call and resignation upend Justice Department probe into Trump’s top foes (opens KEYT in a new tab)
Show 3 more
- Exclusive: Tense phone call and resignation upend Justice Department probe into Trump’s top foes (opens KVIA in a new tab)
- Exclusive: Tense phone call and resignation upend Justice Department probe into Trump’s top foes (opens KRDO in a new tab)
- Exclusive: Tense phone call and resignation upend Justice Department probe into Trump’s top foes (opens KIFI in a new tab)
Right
2- What the Heck Is Happening in Florida? (opens Real Clear Politics in a new tab)
Real Clear Politics — is Real Clear Politics biased? Our profile of this outlet
- What the Heck is Happening in Florida? (opens declassified.live in a new tab)
declassified.live — is declassified.live biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
1How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

