Politico faced backlash over a headline describing Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg as "reluctant" to prosecute former President Donald Trump, who was convicted of 34 felony counts related to hush money payments.
Politico sparked controversy on Saturday with a headline posted to social media that labeled Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as the "reluctant prosecutor" of former President Donald Trump. The headline accompanied an article discussing the impact of Trump's conviction on business leaders.
The headline sparked swift criticism from conservatives, who pointed out that Bragg campaigned on prosecuting Trump. A community note was also added to the original post to provide context for readers.
Bragg had previously stated that he planned to focus on the Trump case personally once he became district attorney. In 2021, he said, "This is obviously a consequential case, one that merits the attention of the DA personally."
Following the verdict, Bragg defended his prosecution of Trump, stating that it was his duty to do so. "I did my job. Our job is to follow the facts and the law without fear or favor," he said.
Critics questioned Politico's use of the word "reluctant" to describe Bragg's prosecution of Trump. They argued that Bragg had actively sought to prosecute the former president and had succeeded in obtaining a felony conviction.
Some commentators compared Politico's headline to The Washington Post's infamous description of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as an "austere religious scholar" following his death in 2019.
Some New York Democratic leaders expressed support for Bragg's prosecution of Trump, arguing that it gave him a strong record to run on in the future. Maya Wiley, a progressive legal commentator who previously ran for mayor, said, "The first ever of a former U.S. president. Period. That’s a hell of a record to run on on its own."
Politico did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the criticism of its headline.
Politico's headline describing Alvin Bragg as the "reluctant prosecutor" of Donald Trump has drawn criticism from both conservatives and supporters of Bragg. The headline has raised questions about the media's narrative surrounding Trump's felony conviction and the role of political bias in the portrayal of events.
