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In an unexpected twist, Sean Spicer drew attention to Politico’s accidental release of an internal Google document, which outlines the news sources the publication regularly consults for information. The document notably omits Breitbart News, a significant player in the conservative media sphere.
On January 9, Sean Spicer, host of The Sean Spicer Show and former White House Press stated: “Ever wonder why @politico @playbookdc is so left leaning? Major blunder this morning when they accidentally linked a story to their internal google doc showing what sources they “go to” (and therefore don’t – no @BreitbartNews @DailyCaller @DailySignal @realDailyWire )”.
The list of sources Politico staff are advised to use for aggregation includes a wide range of prominent media outlets. Traditional heavyweights like The New York Times and CNN are featured, alongside newer media entities such as Semafor and Axios. Despite this extensive roster, there is a conspicuous absence of conservative-focused publications. The document even provides login credentials for accessing paywalled content, yet Breitbart News is absent from its considerations.
This omission is particularly striking against the backdrop of ongoing debate about Politico’s perceived editorial bias and its tendency to overlook right-leaning journalism. Breitbart News, with its substantial reach and increasing influence, especially in Washington circles, stands as a glaring omission. As highlighted by Hannah Knudsen using data from analytics firm NewsWhip, Breitbart achieved substantial engagement on social media in early 2025, outpacing both The New York Times and CNN during the initial weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Institutionally, Breitbart has made significant strides, securing a regular presence in the White House briefing room. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt affirmed that outlets like Breitbart would “have an actual seat in this room every day,” underscoring their growing significance.
“Breitbart News is the number one outlet in Donald Trump’s America,” declared Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow, highlighting the publication’s pivotal role in the current media landscape.
Vice President JD Vance also praised Washington Bureau Chief Matt Boyle’s access and influence during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience. Even Politico acknowledged the outlet’s rising prominence, writing: “Trump’s back — and so is Breitbart.”
The leaked document merely scratches the surface of Politico’s broader pattern of excluding, discrediting, or downplaying conservative and independent media voices. In December 2025, Politico’s senior legal affairs reporter Josh Gerstein faced backlash after posting on X: “At some point, the amateur effort to knock on doors of home daycares intersects with robust stand-your-ground laws.” The remark was widely interpreted as targeting independent journalist Nick Shirley, who had been investigating alleged daycare fraud involving Somali business owners in Minnesota. The post triggered a storm of condemnation and more than 10,000 hostile comments. In a follow-up message, Gerstein wrote: “To observe that something is likely to happen or there’s a serious risk of it happening is not to advocate for it happening.”
Other examples of Politico’s leanings include: its framing of European Christmas celebrations as “far-right” in a December 2025 article; its failure to challenge Jake Sullivan’s misleading remarks about President Biden’s health; and its coverage of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom it falsely portrayed as mocking people with disabilities — reporting that later required clarification, but not before damaging headlines had circulated widely.
Concerns about neutrality emerged in September 2025 when Politico assigned White House coverage to a reporter who had previously called Donald Trump a “demagogue” and reacted emotionally to his 2016 election on social media.
Dissent over Politico’s editorial bias reached its own parent company in March 2025, when Axel Springer board member Martin Varsavsky condemned the outlet for republishing what he described as pro-Hamas content.
In 2025, former Politico reporter Marc Caputo, now at Axios, revealed during a podcast interview that he had been explicitly instructed not to write, discuss, or tweet about Hunter Biden’s laptop. He also said that an accurate story he had written about a tax lien tied to Hunter during his time at Burisma was killed by editors without explanation. Tara Palmeri, another former Politico reporter now with Puck, stated her own reporting on Hunter Biden’s gun permit faced delays, and speculated that the timing — early in Biden’s presidency — may have contributed to the slow publication.
Alongside launching FCC investigations into ideological bias in legacy media, the Trump administration cut taxpayer-funded subscriptions and revoked press access for several establishment outlets, including Politico.
