Politico altered a controversial headline for a puff piece on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in the midst of accusations that former President Trump will be indicted.
Politico’s original headline, "By-the-book DA confronts unpredictable opponent in Trump," now appears as "Liberal Manhattan DA takes on Trump in perilous legal fight," as flagged by NewsBusters.
The reporter behind the story, Erica Orden, had presented Bragg as a "low-key, politics-averse prosecutor" who is preparing to "take on the brash, mudslinging former president."
Bragg's office is investigating whether Trump was involved in paying hush money to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign, a charge that Trump has denied.
The first headline drew widespread mockery online, with many political commentators and journalists accusing Orden of peddling a biased description of Bragg.
"Just came back to laugh again about both ‘politics averse’ and ‘by the book.’ You are genuinely funny!" Federalist Editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway wrote in response to Politico’s original headline.
‘"Politics averse’ is a surprising descriptor here," Republican political operative Matt Whitlock wrote.
"Erica you gave me a good laugh today. Bragg is politics averse? Oh that’s a hoot. Is the water you’re carrying for the regime heavy?" former assistant secretary for public affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services Michael Caputo tweeted.
Trump has suggested that Bragg is set to indict him based on a seven-year-old case involving Stormy Daniels, an adult film star. The allegations made national headlines, with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, firing off multiple letters to Bragg’s office for additional information on a possible indictment against Trump.
Jordan cited Bragg’s apparent reversal on pushing to indict Trump as an "unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority."
"In January 2022, soon after Bragg took office, he expressed doubts about President Trump’s case and suspended the investigation. This decision caused you and your colleague, Mark Pomerantz, to resign in protest," Jordan wrote in his letter.
"It now appears that your efforts to shame Bragg have worked as he is reportedly resurrecting a so-called ‘zombie’ case against President Trump using a tenuous and untested legal theory," Jordan continued.
Bragg, for his part, has accused the House GOP of an "unprecedented inquiry into a pending local prosecution."
Fox News’ Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
