--- title: Tlaib Profanity Gets More Coverage Than King White Supremacy description: Rep. Tlaib's profanity received five times more coverage on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC than Rep. King's remarks on white supremacy. canonical: https://time.com/5501432/tlaib-profantiy-5-times-more-coverage-king-white-supremacy/ author: Alejandro de la Garza article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-01-13T16:28:33.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-13T08:19:54.458Z article:section: Politics og:title: Report: Rep. Tlaib's Profanity Received 5 Times More Coverage Than Rep. King's White Supremacy Remarks og:description: The networks spent 5 times longer on Tlaib's profanity og:url: https://time.com/5501432/tlaib-profantiy-5-times-more-coverage-king-white-supremacy/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfd697e0d444127d3/6989432c8fd2ee84e135d922/gettyimages-1028570164.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Angel Families og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Report: Rep. Tlaib's Profanity Received 5 Times More Coverage Than Rep. King's White Supremacy Remarks twitter:description: The networks spent 5 times longer on Tlaib's profanity twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfd697e0d444127d3/6989432c8fd2ee84e135d922/gettyimages-1028570164.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Report: Rep. Tlaib's Profanity Received 5 Times More Coverage Than Rep. King's White Supremacy Remarks > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=110e999b-17f8-4957-bb1a-4fe2e6f8464a&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Rep. Steve King Refutes Claims that He Embraces White Supremacy Ideology [Watch (HLS stream): Rep. Steve King Refutes Claims that He Embraces White Supremacy Ideology](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/5s7dR7Sg.m3u8) (1:20)  _Published 2019-01-13. The top House Republican says he and Rep. Steve King will discuss King’s future in the party following the Iowa congressman’s remarks in defense of white supremacy._  by [Alejandro de la Garza](https://time.com/author/alejandro-de-la-garza/)  ## Alejandro de la Garza Jan 13, 2019 4:28 PM UTC The top House Republican says he and Rep. Steve King will discuss King’s future in the party following the Iowa congressman’s remarks in defense of white supremacy.  by [Alejandro de la Garza](https://time.com/author/alejandro-de-la-garza/)  ## Alejandro de la Garza Jan 13, 2019 4:28 PM UTC According to [one study](https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2019/01/11/rep-rashida-tlaib-cursing-got-5-times-more-coverage-cable-news-rep-steve-king-embracing-white/222504) by liberal media watchdog Media Matters, Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s profane vow to [impeach the President](http://time.com/5494817/ocasio-cortez-defends-tlaib-profanity/) received five times more coverage on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC than Rep. Steve King’s controversial remarks about [white supremacy.](http://time.com/5499678/house-republicans-slam-steve-king-white-supremacist-comments/) In the day after Rep. Tlaib [said to supporters](https://twitter.com/LevineJonathan/status/1081037086621339648) that “we’re gonna go in and impeach the motherf—-,” referring to President Trump, the three cable news networks devoted over two and a half hours to the topic. In a similar period following [the publication](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/us/politics/steve-king-trump-immigration-wall.html?module=inline) of Rep. Steve King’s comments questioning how the phrase ‘white supremacist’ could be offensive, those networks spent just under 30 minutes on the subject. To study the coverage, Media Matters said that its researchers reviewed Jan. 4 transcripts on a video streaming service for the words “Rashida,” “impeach” or spelling variations of “Tlaib” (including the misspelling “Talib”) on the three cable news networks’ coverage. Media Matters searched for mentions of “Steve King” for a similar time frame through Jan. 11. In [an interview with the New York _Times_](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/us/politics/steve-king-trump-immigration-wall.html?module=inline) published Jan. 10, King is quoted as saying “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” Commenting on the newly-elected people of color to Congress, he added: “You could look over there and think the Democratic Party is no country for white men.” The comments drew rebukes from Republican leaders, including Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) who said on Twitter that King’s comments “are abhorrent and racist and should have no place in our national discourse.” > [](https://twitter.com/Liz%5FCheney/status/1083438039995699201) In comparison to Tlaib’s profanity on Jan. 3, cable news networks devoted relatively little time to discussing King’s comments. Fox News spent 52 minutes discussing Tlaib’s cursing, but only 42 seconds on King’s comments about white supremacy, according to Media Matters. Other cable news networks also appeared to have imbalanced coverage. According to Media Matters, CNN discussed Tlaib’s comments for almost an hour and five minutes, compared to about 15 minutes for King’s comments. MSNBC used 38 minutes on Tlaib’s cursing, and a little over 14 minutes on King’s white supremacy comments. To Media Matters, the apparent difference in coverage “raises serious questions about just what stories cable news considers newsworthy and whether there’s a double standard in coverage of Democrats versus Republicans.” ## Transcript [00:00] Today the New York Times is suggesting that I am an [00:02] advocate for white nationalism and white supremacy. I [00:06] want to make one thing abundantly clear. I reject those [00:09] labels and the evil ideology that they define. Further, I [00:13] condemn anyone that supports this evil and bigoted [00:15] ideology which saw, in its ultimate expression, the [00:20] systematic murder Of 6 million innocent Jewish lives. [00:25] It's true that, like the Founding Fathers, I am an [00:28] advocate for Western civilization's values. And that I [00:31] profoundly believe that America is the greatest [00:34] tangible expression of these ideals the world has ever [00:37] seen. Under any fair political definition, I am simply [00:42] an American nationalist. I regret the hard burn that has [00:45] put forward upon this Congress and this country and [00:48] especially my State and my congressional district. But, [00:51] the people who know me. No, I wouldn't have to even [00:55] make this statement because they do know me. They [00:57] know my life, they know my history, they know that I [00:59] have lived in the same place since 1978. There is [01:02] nothing about my family or my history or my [01:05] neighborhood that would Suggest that these false [01:09] allegations could be supported by any activity [01:12] whatsoever. I reject that ideology. I defend American [01:16] civilization, which is an essential component of Western [01:19] civilization. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5501432/tlaib-profantiy-5-times-more-coverage-king-white-supremacy/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5501432/tlaib-profantiy-5-times-more-coverage-king-white-supremacy/"},"headline":"Report: Rep. Tlaib's Profanity Received 5 Times More Coverage Than Rep. 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