McConnell to step down: 'It's time to move on to life's next chapter'

  • Bias Rating

    -50% Moderately Liberal

  • Reliability

    40% ReliableFair

  • Policy Leaning

    -28% Moderately Liberal

  • Politician Portrayal

    96% Negative

Bias Score Analysis

The A.I. bias rating includes policy and politician portrayal leanings based on the author’s tone found in the article using machine learning. Bias scores are on a scale of -100% to 100% with higher negative scores being more liberal and higher positive scores being more conservative, and 0% being neutral.

Sentiments

Overall Sentiment

25% Positive

  •   Liberal
  •   Conservative
SentenceSentimentBias
"As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work, Mr. McCoell said."
Positive
42% Conservative
"It has been my life."
Positive
32% Conservative
"Mr. Trump has pulled the party hard to the ideological right, questioning longtime military alliances such as NATO, international trade agreements, and pushing for a severe crackdown on immigration, all the while clinging to the falsehood that the election was stolen from him in 2020."
Negative
-4% Liberal
"Mr. McCoell and Mr. Trump had worked together in Mr. Trump's first term, remaking the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary in a far more conservative image, and on tax legislation."
Negative
-22% Liberal
"As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work, Mr. McCoell said."
Positive
20% Conservative
"Mr. McCoell aounced his decision Feb. 28 in the well of the Senate, a place where he looked in awe from its back benches in 1985 when he arrived and where he grew increasingly comfortable in the front row seat afforded the party leaders."
Positive
34% Conservative
"I am unconflicted about the good within our country and the irreplaceable role we play as the leader of the free world, Mr. McCoell said."
Positive
24% Conservative
"Mr. McCoell built his power base by a combination of care and nurturing of his members, including understanding their political imperatives."
Positive
22% Conservative
"Other members of the Republican Senate leadership have endorsed Mr. Trump."
Positive
20% Conservative
"Mitch McCoell, the longest-serving Senate leader in history who maintained his power in the face of dramatic convulsions in the Republican Party for almost two decades, will step down from that position in November."
Positive
14% Conservative
"The end of my contributions are closer than I'd prefer, Mr. McCoell said."
Positive
12% Conservative
"Misunderstanding politics is not one of them, Mr. McCoell said."
Positive
10% Conservative
"Mr. McCoell wanted to run the Senate."
Positive
10% Conservative
"The senator had been under increasing pressure from the restive, and at times hostile wing of his party that has aligned firmly with Mr. Trump."
Positive
8% Conservative
"Mr. McCoell's path to power was hardly linear, but from the day he walked onto the Senate floor in 1985 and took his seat as the most junior Republican senator, he set his sights on being the party leader."
Positive
8% Conservative
"Aides said Mr. McCoell's aouncement about the leadership post was unrelated to his health."
Positive
6% Conservative
"During his campaign in 1984, when Mr. Reagan was visiting Kentucky, the president called him Mitch O'Doell."
Positive
6% Conservative
"He most recently beat back a challenge led by Sen. Rick Scott of Florida last November."
Positive
6% Conservative
"Mr. McCoell endorsed Mr. Reagan's view of America's role in the world and the senator has persisted in the face of opposition, including from Mr. Trump, that Congress should include a foreign assistance package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine."
Positive
4% Conservative
"Mr. McCoell endorsed Mr. Reagan's view of America's role in the world and the senator has persisted in the face of opposition, including from Mr. Trump, that Congress should include a foreign assistance package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine."
Positive
4% Conservative
"Mr. McCoell endorsed Mr. Reagan's view of America's role in the world and the senator has persisted in the face of opposition, including from Mr. Trump, that Congress should include a foreign assistance package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine."
Positive
4% Conservative
"Rather than fade from prominence after the Capitol riot, Mr. Trump continued to assert his control over the party and finds himself on a clear glide path to the Republican nomination."
Positive
4% Conservative
"Mr. McCoell said he plans to serve out his Senate term, which ends in January 2027, albeit from a different seat in the chamber."
Positive
2% Conservative
"But while Mr. McCoell's critics within the GOP conference had grown louder, their numbers had not grown appreciably larger, a marker of Mr. McCoell's strategic and tactical skill and his ability to understand the needs of his fellow Republican senators."
Positive
2% Conservative
"But while Mr. McCoell's critics within the GOP conference had grown louder, their numbers had not grown appreciably larger, a marker of Mr. McCoell's strategic and tactical skill and his ability to understand the needs of his fellow Republican senators."
Positive
2% Conservative
"But there was also friction from the start, with Mr. Trump frequently sniping at the senator."
Positive
2% Conservative
"Mr. McCoell will step down from his leadership post in November, but plans to serve out his Senate term through 2027."
Positive
0% Conservative
"Senate Minority Leader Mitch McCoell addresses reporters on Capitol Hill, Feb. 27, 2024."
Negative
-2% Liberal
"Mr. Trump has pulled the party hard to the ideological right, questioning longtime military alliances such as NATO, international trade agreements, and pushing for a severe crackdown on immigration, all the while clinging to the falsehood that the election was stolen from him in 2020."
Negative
-24% Liberal
"Mr. McCoell was not impaired cognitively, but did have some additional physical limitations."
Negative
-12% Liberal
"That said, I believe more strongly than ever that America's global leadership is essential to preserving the shining city on a hill that Ronald Reagan discussed."
Negative
-14% Liberal
"Mr. McCoell gave no specific reason for the timing of his decision, which he has been contemplating for months, but he cited the recent death of his wife's youngest sister as a moment that prompted introspection."
Negative
-18% Liberal
"Mr. McCoell and Mr. Trump had worked together in Mr. Trump's first term, remaking the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary in a far more conservative image, and on tax legislation."
Negative
-30% Liberal
"Mr. McCoell and Mr. Trump had worked together in Mr. Trump's first term, remaking the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary in a far more conservative image, and on tax legislation."
Negative
-30% Liberal
"Mr. McCoell and Mr. Trump had worked together in Mr. Trump's first term, remaking the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary in a far more conservative image, and on tax legislation."
Negative
-30% Liberal
"Their relationship has essentially been over since Mr. Trump refused to accept the results of the Electoral College."
Negative
-24% Liberal
"His decision punctuates a powerful ideological transition underway in the Republican Party, from Ronald Reagan's brand of traditional conservatism and strong international alliances to the fiery, often isolationist populism of former President Donald Trump."
Negative
-26% Liberal
"His decision punctuates a powerful ideological transition underway in the Republican Party, from Ronald Reagan's brand of traditional conservatism and strong international alliances to the fiery, often isolationist populism of former President Donald Trump."
Negative
-26% Liberal
"Mr. McCoell has not, and that has drawn criticism from other Republican senators."
Negative
-36% Liberal
"Mr. McCoell assigned blame and responsibility to Mr. Trump and said that he should be held to account through the criminal justice system for his actions."
Negative
-42% Liberal
"Mr. McCoell assigned blame and responsibility to Mr. Trump and said that he should be held to account through the criminal justice system for his actions."
Negative
-42% Liberal
"Mr. McCoell's critics insist he could have done more, including voting to convict Mr. Trump during his second impeachment trial."
Negative
-44% Liberal
"Mr. McCoell's critics insist he could have done more, including voting to convict Mr. Trump during his second impeachment trial."
Negative
-44% Liberal
"Mr. McCoell did not, arguing that since Mr. Trump was no longer in office, he could not be subject to impeachment."
Negative
-46% Liberal
"Mr. McCoell did not, arguing that since Mr. Trump was no longer in office, he could not be subject to impeachment."
Negative
-46% Liberal
"The two have been estranged since December 2020, when Mr. McCoell refused to abide by Mr. Trump's lie that the election of Democrat Joe Biden as president was the product of fraud."
Negative
-22% Liberal
"The two have been estranged since December 2020, when Mr. McCoell refused to abide by Mr. Trump's lie that the election of Democrat Joe Biden as president was the product of fraud."
Negative
-22% Liberal
"The two have been estranged since December 2020, when Mr. McCoell refused to abide by Mr. Trump's lie that the election of Democrat Joe Biden as president was the product of fraud."
Negative
-22% Liberal

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-100%
Liberal

100%
Conservative

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

71% : "As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work," Mr. McConnell said.
66% : "It has been my life.
48% : "Mr. Trump has pulled the party hard to the ideological right, questioning longtime military alliances such as NATO, international trade agreements, and pushing for a severe crackdown on immigration, all the while clinging to the falsehood that the election was stolen from him in 2020.
39% : Mr. McConnell and Mr. Trump had worked together in Mr. Trump's first term, remaking the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary in a far more conservative image, and on tax legislation.

*Our bias meter rating uses data science including sentiment analysis, machine learning and our proprietary algorithm for determining biases in news articles. Bias scores are on a scale of -100% to 100% with higher negative scores being more liberal and higher positive scores being more conservative, and 0% being neutral. The rating is an independent analysis and is not affiliated nor sponsored by the news source or any other organization.

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