EXCLUSIVE: The Big Four News Apps are controlling the political narrative to help Democrats, and it's working. Americans know that the U.S. is engaged in an armed conflict with Iran. Most are aware that there have been several suspected terrorist attacks on the homeland and that major American airports are facing hours-long security lines.
But how many Americans know that congressional Democrats not only planned the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, but also continue to ensure that nearly half of the agency’s workforce is furloughed? Not many, especially for those who rely on the typical elitist media outlets promoted by the Big Four News Apps.
A Media Research Center review of the top 20 articles on Apple News, Google News, Microsoft’s MSN, and Yahoo News from Feb. 14 through March 14 found that the Big Four deliberately buried coverage of the Democratic shutdown, protecting Democrats from scrutiny and obscuring their role in the crisis.
“For decades, the elites in legacy media have blamed Republicans for every shutdown. It didn’t matter who was in the White House or who controlled Congress, the media had one story: it’s the Republicans' fault. Now that the Democrats are exclusively to blame for the DHS shutdown, media elites and their allies in Big Tech are trying to keep the story as quiet as possible, because the real story is bad politics for Democrats,” said MRC President David Bozell of the findings.
MRC’s Findings:
- The Big Four News Apps limited their coverage of the DHS shutdown to only 1%, comprising 28 stories, out of the total AllSides-rated publications (1,977) promoted during the period.
- When the digital news gatekeepers reported on the shutdown, they largely favored the left, pushing 19 articles from leftist media sources compared to just 2 articles from right-leaning outlets, and seven from center sources.
- Apple News published 17 articles on the DHS shutdown: 12 from left-leaning outlets, five from center outlets, and none from right-leaning sources.
- Google News highlighted six articles: four coming from left-leaning sources, two from center outlets and zero from right-leaning outlets.
- Microsoft’s MSN showed only one article, highlighting left-leaning outlet Bloomberg News.
- Yahoo News promoted four articles: two from left-leaning outlets and two from right-leaning outlets, making it the only digital news gatekeeper to feature Fox News content.
- Out of the 28 articles about the shutdown, only one headline properly identified Democrats as responsible for it.
Big Four News Apps Concealed Democrats’ DHS Shutdown
The Big Four News Apps’ move to limit coverage of the Democrats’ DHS shutdown comes as Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries largely avoid scrutiny for triggering the funding lapse in the first place.
From Feb. 14 to March 14, Apple News, Google News, Microsoft’s MSN and Yahoo News have collectively published 2,320 total stories in their top 20 morning listings. However, only 1% of those stories — 28 in total — were about the Democratic-led shutdown of DHS.
The implications of the DHS shutdown and the Big Four News Apps’ refusal to provide comprehensive coverage are troubling. The U.S. has experienced four terrorism-linked attacks since Feb. 14, raising concerns over national security.
Due to the Democrat shutdown, major U.S. airports have descended into chaos as hundreds of TSA agents quit, while many others call in sick rather than work without pay. Even worse, thousands of Border Patrol, Secret Service and ICE agents are risking their lives, and without pay. Additionally, non-disaster assistance is being delayed due to reduced staffing at FEMA.
The shutdown, now stretching into its first full month, is due to congressional Democrats using DHS funding as a bargaining chip to hinder immigration enforcement.
“Absent bold and meaningful change, there is no credible path forward with respect to the Department of Homeland Security funding bill on February 13,” Jeffries stated on Feb. 3, seemingly referring to negotiations about full DHS funding.
Schumer appeared to echo Jeffries in remarks from the Senate floor: “Republicans in Congress need to see the chaos and realize it’s finally time for ICE to be reined in.”
Jeffries’s and Schumer’s statements came the same day President Donald Trump signed a $1.2 trillion funding package that allocated resources for most federal agencies through September, except for DHS, which Democrats demanded be funded for two weeks only.
The $1.2 trillion package successfully averted the previous government shutdown that had arisen due to the Democrats’ insistence on ending deportations of the bulk of illegal immigrants.. As it stood, DHS was funded only until Feb. 13, pending further negotiations and the Democrats’ continued demand for “reforms.”
Even up to the deadline, Democrats still refused to compromise on their demands, which Republicans said would effectively handicap DHS's ability to enforce Trump’s immigration policies.
Jeffries and Schumer are specifically demanding a mask ban, mandatory body cameras and limitations on where ICE can detain illegal aliens, in addition to the requirement of a judicial warrant before such detentions.
Big Four News Apps Keep DHS Shutdown Coverage Left-Leaning
MRC also found that Apple News, Google News, Microsoft’s MSN and Yahoo News limited the already scant coverage of the Democrat shutdown largely to left-leaning outlets, resulting in the most favorable coverage possible for Democrats.
Out of the 28 total stories about the DHS shutdown, 19 originated from left-leaning sources, compared to only two from right-leaning sources, with the specific breakdown as follows:
- Apple News: 17 articles total — 12 from left-leaning outlets (71%), five from center outlets (29%), zero from right-leaning outlets.
- Google News: six articles total — four from left-leaning outlets (67%), two from center outlets (33%), zero from right-leaning outlets.
- Microsoft’s MSN: one article total, coming from left-leaning Bloomberg News.
- Yahoo News: four articles total — two from left-leaning outlets (50%) and two from right-leaning outlets (50%).
Bozell said the data lay bare bias in how major platforms shape political news, telling Fox News: “When a dominant platform like Apple News delivers 71 percent left leaning coverage and zero right leaning perspectives on a major political fight, that is not balance. That is the information pipeline tilting the playing field.”
Big Four News Apps Predominantly Exclude Headlines Blaming Democrats for Shutdown
The Big Four News Apps’ left-leaning imbalance ensured Democrats received the most favorable coverage possible. The headline curation made that clear, as nearly none of them reported that Democrats triggered the shutdown by blocking funding.
Yahoo News offered a rare exception on Feb. 17, promoting a Fox News headline — “DHS shutdown drags into 4th day as Senate Democrats block funding over ICE reforms” — that directly identified Democrats as the party refusing funding. Had the Big Four News Apps surfaced more right-leaning coverage, more headlines likely would have echoed Fox News’s framing.
Instead, some of the headlines promoted by the Big Four News Apps framed the dispute as a generic standoff between Democrats and Republicans, effectively equalizing both sides of the negotiations, even though Democrats were the ones demanding sweeping ICE reforms while withholding support for DHS funding.
MRC Free Speech America VP Dan Schneider said the coverage obscures responsibility for the shutdown and downplays the real-world consequences.
“America is facing terrorist threats, but our Border Patrol agents are required to work without pay while risking their lives to keep us safe. TSA agents are also scrambling for side gigs on food delivery apps to pay their bills and airports are descending into chaos — all because Democrats are holding DHS funding hostage over whether ICE agents can wear masks. There is no doubt which side the Big Four News Apps are. They are actively concealing who has caused the shutdown. They are no different from the spin doctors at the Democratic headquarters.”
Many headlines — some of which were later updated — used vague language that obscured responsibility.
On Apple News, for instance:
- “Republicans take another crack at Homeland Security funding, citing Iran war,” by The Associated Press.
- “DHS shutdown talks hit a wall as GOP fumes,” by The Hill.
- “Homeland Security Department shuts down as Democrats and Trump negotiate changes,” by NBC News.
- “Frustrated Senators Dig In on DHS Funding Fight,” by The Wall Street Journal.
Other headlines focused primarily on the effects of the shutdown and its impact on everyday Americans, again without identifying the party responsible.
On Apple News:
- “DHS shutdown deadline looms. What it could mean for your flight,” by USA Today.
- “What services will be affected by the DHS government shutdown?” by CBS News.
On Google News:
- “Partial US government shutdown could mean airport delays, travel groups say,” by BBC.
- “US airlines warn over pause in two key travel programs amid DHS shutdown,” by Reuters.
On MSN:
- “DHS to halt PreCheck and Global Entry programs amid shutdown,” by Bloomberg News.
On Yahoo News:
- “DHS suspends TSA PreCheck and Global Entry airport security programs,” by ABC News.
- “Travelers face long lines as government shutdown causes TSA staffing shortages,” by ABC News.
Methodology: During the time period Feb. 14 - March 14, 2026, MRC researchers examined the top 20 stories featured on the Big Four News Apps (Apple News, Google News, Microsoft’s MSN and Yahoo News) each day at approximately 8:30 AM ET and searched the article headlines for the terms “DHS,” “Homeland Security,” “shutdown” and “shut.” MRC researchers used the AllSides media bias ratings, which categorize outlets as “left,” “lean left,” “center,” “lean right” or “right” to determine the overall bias presented by the Big Four News Apps and analyzed the results.
