One time-tested way to examine media bias is to see if the media label any indicted Democrat official as a Democrat. But with President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C., highlighting blue city mismanagement, over ABC, CBS, and NBC’s Friday evening and Saturday morning shows, only CBS passed the test of identifying New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell as a Democrat, and even that comes with the caveats that it was only shown on the West Coast and online streaming airing of Evening News and provided the fewest details of the three networks.
Because the networks’ non-West Coast evening news slots were understandably taken over by special coverage of the Trump-Putin Alaska summit, that left West Coast and streaming audiences for traditional newscasts on Friday night. On CBS Evening News, host Maurice DuBois reported, “The mayor of New Orleans was indicted today on federal fraud, conspiracy, and obstruction charges. Democrat Latoya Cantrell, the city's first female mayor, is accused of trying to hide a romantic relationship with her bodyguard, who was a city police officer.”
CBS Saturday Morning did not cover the news. Nor did NBC’s Today, but Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas, with no mention of any party label, declared, “New Orleans's mayor, Latoya Cantrell, has been indicted on federal charges. A grand jury indicting her on fraud and other obstruction charges, stemming from an alleged romantic relationship with a city police officer. She's accused of filing false payroll records. Cantrell's office and attorney have not yet commented.”
ABC’s Friday broadcast of World News Tonight did not cover the news, but Saturday Good Morning America co-host Whit Johnson did, albeit without any party ID, “New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell, facing criminal charges on accusations she used taxpayer money to cover up an affair. A federal grand jury indicted Cantrell on counts of conspiracy, fraud, and obstruction. Federal prosecutors say Cantrell developed a romantic relationship with a member of her security detail. They say she allegedly used tens of thousands of dollars in city funds to bring the bodyguard on trips from Los Angeles to Scotland. Cantrell now becomes the first sitting mayor to face federal charges in New Orleans history. She denies any wrongdoing.”
Sure, the networks had their hands full with Alaska summit news, but it takes one second to say “Democratic.” Given all the discourse about big blue cities recently, there is no justifiable reason to omit partisan affiliation.
Here are transcripts for the August 15 and 16 shows:
CBS Evening News
8/16/2025
1:06 AM ET
MAURICE DUBOIS: And the mayor of New Orleans was indicted today on federal fraud, conspiracy, and obstruction charges. Democrat Latoya Cantrell, the city's first female mayor, is accused of trying to hide a romantic relationship with her bodyguard, who was a city police officer.
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NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas
8/16/225
1:18 AM ET
TOM LLAMAS: Welcome back. New Orleans's mayor, Latoya Cantrell, has been indicted on federal charges. A grand jury indicting her on fraud and other obstruction charges, stemming from an alleged romantic relationship with a city police officer. She's accused of filing false payroll records. Cantrell's office and attorney have not yet commented.
***
ABC Good Morning America
8/16/2025
7:40 AM ET
WHIT JOHNSON: New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell, facing criminal charges on accusations she used taxpayer money to cover up an affair. A federal grand jury indicted Cantrell on counts of conspiracy, fraud, and obstruction. Federal prosecutors say Cantrell developed a romantic relationship with a member of her security detail. They say she allegedly used tens of thousands of dollars in city funds to bring the bodyguard on trips from Los Angeles to Scotland. Cantrell now becomes the first sitting mayor to face federal charges in New Orleans history. She denies any wrongdoing.