Trump attacks oil firms and US Attorney in speech as poll rating hits low
Republican senators demand written confirmation of $1.8bn Justice Department fund’s abolition after Trump ally’s appointment
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

"Oni zarađuju mnogo novca": Tramp napada sve oko sebe dok se politički porazi gomilaju 1
Photograph: Dnevni list Danas (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Donald Trump accused oil companies of exploiting his Iran policy to inflate profits during a Monday speech in the Oval Office.
- He claimed US Attorney Jeanine Pirou altered court documents to undermine a Lincoln Memorial restoration project he championed.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche abolished a $1.8bn Justice Department fund, a move Republican senators demanded in writing.
- Trump’s approval rating dropped to about one-third in a CNN/SSRS poll, the lowest since the January 2021 Capitol riot.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 47 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 4 of the 51 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
65/100
Craft
55/100
Hype
35/100
51 sources · methodology
Missing from the right
Only 2 of the 47 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
A reader who follows the right would not have seen this. We report the absence rather than explain it: outlets choose what to cover for many reasons, and we have no evidence about which one applies here.
Donald Trump used a Monday speech in the Oval Office to attack oil companies and the US Attorney for Washington, DC. Dnevni list Danas reported he accused oil executives of profiteering from his Iran policy, singling out Chevron and warning it to lower gasoline prices. Trump also claimed US Attorney Jeanine Pirou, whom he appointed, altered court filings to undermine a Lincoln Memorial restoration project he had personally overseen.
The speech followed the confirmation of Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal lawyer, as acting attorney general. Dnevni list Danas wrote that Blanche permanently abolished a $1.8 billion Justice Department fund, which Trump had described as a way to compensate political allies. Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis demanded written confirmation of the fund’s abolition, as reported by Dnevni list Danas.
Trump’s approval rating fell to about one-third in a CNN/SSRS poll published last week, according to Dnevni list Danas. The outlet noted this matched the low point of his first term, reached after the January 2021 Capitol riot. The poll identified economic policy and the Iran war as the primary drags on his popularity.
What the coverage left out
No centre- or right-rated outlet ran this story at all. None of the reports below mention the specific legal mechanism by which the $1.8bn fund could theoretically be reactivated, as described by CNN analyst Eli Honig. The left-rated report did not include a response from Jeanine Pirou or Chevron to Trump’s accusations.
Coverage settled. We checked this 20 times and stopped on 10 Aug 2026, 02:30. The figures above are what it finished at.
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
31 rated outlets
- Dnevni list Danas led on Trump’s attacks on oil companies and the US Attorney, framing them as signs of a presidency losing momentum. The report quoted Trump’s accusation that oil executives were "making too much money" from his Iran policy and his warning to Chevron to lower gasoline prices. It described his claim that Pirou had "choked" by altering court filings on the Lincoln Memorial project as an attempt to distance himself from a narrative he had publicly promoted.
- The outlet highlighted the $1.8bn Justice Department fund’s abolition, calling it a "hidden loss" for Trump despite Blanche’s confirmation. It quoted CNN legal analyst Eli Honig saying the written abolition demanded by senators "legally achieves almost nothing". The report also noted Republican senators’ resistance to Trump’s voting restrictions bill and Senator Susan Collins’ move to block a rule expanding political appointees’ control over federal grants.
- Dnevni list Danas used Trump’s own words to describe Pirou, quoting him calling her a "longtime ally" who had "folded like an umbrella". It contrasted his portrayal of the Iran war as a short-term strategy to control oil markets with the reality of prolonged supply disruptions and closed shipping routes. The report framed his approval rating drop as tied to economic policy and the Iran conflict, citing the CNN/SSRS poll.
Centre
14 rated outlets
- The three centre-rated outlets led on the U.S. Attorney’s decision to drop charges against four people accused of damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. All three carried the Justice Department’s statement that the damage was caused by a contractor’s botched installation, not vandalism.
- CBS News and Fact Check included President Trump’s insistence that the pool was vandalised, along with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s claim that evidence of vandalism was provided to the U.S. Attorney’s office. The Staten Island Advance did not mention these claims. CBS News alone quoted Trump calling the decision to drop charges a mistake and Pirro’s handling of the case a choke.
- CBS News reported statements from defence lawyers for three of the accused, describing the charges as fabricated and politically motivated. Neither Fact Check nor the Staten Island Advance included these statements or named the defendants.
Right
2 rated outlets
- The two right-rated digests led on acts of vandalism at the Reflecting Pool in Washington. Both reported that chemicals were used to damage newly replaced grass. Neither mentioned the poll rating or the attack on oil firms that appeared in other coverage.
- Il Tempo’s digest quoted Donald Trump directly, calling the damage deliberate and describing the substance as powerful. It included his refusal to name the chemical or the phrase written on the lawn. WPBN’s digest did not carry Trump’s remarks or the detail that the lawn had recently been replaced.
- Neither digest referred to the US Attorney or the broader political context of the speech. The dropped charges against three accused vandals, reported by WPBN, were not mentioned in Il Tempo’s account.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Trump attacks oil firms and US Attorney in speech as poll rating hits…?
- Of the 47 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 66% are rated left, 30% are rated centre, 4% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 51. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Trump attacks oil firms and US Attorney in speech as poll rating hits… left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 47 rated outlets on this story, 66% are rated left, 30% are rated centre, 4% 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 Trump attacks oil firms and US Attorney in speech as poll rating hits… biased?
- Trump attacks oil firms and US Attorney in speech as poll rating hits low is one event reported by 51 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 Trump attacks oil firms and US Attorney in speech as poll rating hits…?
- 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 Trump attacks oil firms and US Attorney in speech as poll rating hits…?
- 51 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.
- What did Trump accuse oil companies of doing?
- Dnevni list Danas reported Trump accused oil executives of profiteering from his Iran policy, specifically naming Chevron and warning it to lower gasoline prices. He claimed they were "making too much money" from the conflict, which he had framed as a short-term strategy to control global oil markets.
- Why did Republican senators demand written confirmation of the fund’s abolition?
- Dnevni list Danas wrote that Republican Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis demanded written proof that the $1.8bn Justice Department fund was permanently abolished. The fund, part of a settlement between Trump and the Justice Department, was widely seen as a way to compensate his political allies, and senators wanted to ensure it could not be reactivated.
- How low is Trump’s approval rating?
- Dnevni list Danas reported Trump’s approval rating fell to about one-third in a CNN/SSRS poll, matching the low point of his first term after the January 2021 Capitol riot. The poll identified economic policy and the Iran war as the primary reasons for the decline.
Read it at the source
51 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
31- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens The Avery Journal-Times in a new tab)
The Avery Journal-Times — is The Avery Journal-Times biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens Kokomo Tribune in a new tab)
Kokomo Tribune — is Kokomo Tribune biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens Watauga Democrat in a new tab)
Watauga Democrat — is Watauga Democrat biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens SooLeader.com in a new tab)
SooLeader.com — is SooLeader.com biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens Sentinel Colorado in a new tab)
Sentinel Colorado — is Sentinel Colorado biased? Our profile of this outlet
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens Orlando Sentinel in a new tab)
Orlando Sentinel — is Orlando Sentinel biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens The Toronto Star in a new tab)
The Toronto Star — is The Toronto Star biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
Show 23 more
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens El Paso Inc. in a new tab)
El Paso Inc. — is El Paso Inc. biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens Associated Press News in a new tab)
Associated Press News — is Associated Press News biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens The Sun Chronicle in a new tab)
The Sun Chronicle — is The Sun Chronicle biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens Bangor Daily News in a new tab)
Bangor Daily News — is Bangor Daily News biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens St Catharines Standard in a new tab)
St Catharines Standard — is St Catharines Standard biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens The Hamilton Spectator in a new tab)
The Hamilton Spectator — is The Hamilton Spectator biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- This Friend of Trump on the Saddle After Daring to Contradict Him on the Washington Basin (opens Le Huffington Post in a new tab)
Le Huffington Post — is Le Huffington Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump’s Fury at Reflecting Pool Mess Darkens as Damning New Leaks Hit (opens The New Republic in a new tab)
The New Republic — is The New Republic biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Pool case shows gap between Trump's claims, court record (opens cascadepbs.org in a new tab)
cascadepbs.org — is cascadepbs.org biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Exonerated ex-Olympian just put the Trump administration on notice (opens Alternet in a new tab)
- Red flags fly as Trump admin accused of racing to destroy evidence from vandalism case (opens Raw Story in a new tab)
- 'Clearly Insane': Trump's Reflecting Pool Story Implodes After He Forgets His Own Script and Throws His Handpicked Contractors Under the Bus (opens Atlanta Black Star in a new tab)
Atlanta Black Star — is Atlanta Black Star biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Reflecting Pool case highlights disconnect between Trump's claims and court record (opens PBS NewsHour in a new tab)
PBS NewsHour — is PBS NewsHour biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Jeanine Pirro Admits That Contractors Caused Reflecting Pool Damage (opens News One in a new tab)
- Jimmy Fallon revels in Trump defeat after reflecting pool ‘vandals’ story falls apart (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Jimmy Fallon revels in Trump defeat after reflecting pool ‘vandals’ story falls apart (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 'They Make a Lot of Money': Trump Attacks Everyone Around Him as Political Defeats Pile Up (opens Dnevni list Danas in a new tab)
Dnevni list Danas — is Dnevni list Danas biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Judge Boxwine Slurs Way Through Excuses About Reflecting Pool Case, May Or May Not Get Sent To The Cornfield (opens Wonkette in a new tab)
Wonkette — is Wonkette biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- The Davey Hearn Motion to Dismiss ALSO Debunks Trump's Vandalism Claim (opens emptywheel in a new tab)
emptywheel — is emptywheel biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Donald Trump: Picant Knife Claim Brings Trump to the Bredouille (opens News.de in a new tab)
- Analysis: Trump lashes out as political losses pile up (opens CNN in a new tab)
- How Trump’s claims of vandalism at the renovated Reflecting Pool crumbled (opens The Washington Post in a new tab)
The Washington Post — is The Washington Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
14- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens KITV4 News in a new tab)
KITV4 News — is KITV4 News biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens Denver Post in a new tab)
Denver Post — is Denver Post biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens Washington Top News in a new tab)
Washington Top News — is Washington Top News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens City News in a new tab)
City News — is City News biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens coasttv.com in a new tab)
coasttv.com — is coasttv.com biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens Mid Florida Newspapers in a new tab)
Mid Florida Newspapers — is Mid Florida Newspapers biased? Our profile of this outlet
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens WKMG in a new tab)
- How Washington's Reflective Basin Has Become the Mirror of Trump Administration's Malfunctions (opens La Libre in a new tab)
La Libre — is La Libre biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
Show 6 more
- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens Winnipeg Free Press in a new tab)
Winnipeg Free Press — is Winnipeg Free Press biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Donald Trump Won’t Give Up His Reflecting Pool Vandalism Story (opens Mandatory in a new tab)
- Trump says ‘moving cameras’ caught vandals knifing Reflecting Pool (opens Wonderwall.com in a new tab)
Wonderwall.com — is Wonderwall.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- More Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool charges dropped by Pirro's office (opens CBS News in a new tab)
- Trump's Continued Claims of Vandalism at Reflecting Pool Disputed by U.S. Attorney Memo (opens Fact Check in a new tab)
Fact Check — is Fact Check biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Top GOP senator roasts Trump, Pirro over Reflecting Pool: ‘Multiple vehicle pile-up’ (opens Staten Island Advance in a new tab)
Staten Island Advance — is Staten Island Advance biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
2Not rated
4- No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized (opens Greater Milwaukee Today in a new tab)
Greater Milwaukee Today — is Greater Milwaukee Today biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Trump claimed not to know the contractor who ruined the Reflecting Pool, but the internet had kept the awkward receipts (opens thepoke.com in a new tab)
thepoke.com — is thepoke.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump: Vandalistic Acts to Reflecting Pool Ruined the Lawn with Chemicals (opens Quotidiano Nazionale in a new tab)
Quotidiano Nazionale — is Quotidiano Nazionale biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Reflecting Pool Vandalism Charges Dropped Against All Four (opens Baller Alert in a new tab)
Baller Alert — is Baller Alert biased? Our profile of this outlet
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