Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao faced a recall vote in November 2024 due to rising crime and the departure of the Oakland A's.
Thao claimed she was being targeted in an investigation and suggested her wealth or education background would have prevented it if different.
Thao held a press conference on June 24, 2024, where she stated something.
Embattled Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao faced a recall vote in November 2024 due to rising crime and the departure of the Oakland A's. In a series of events, Thao claimed she was being targeted in an investigation and suggested her wealth or education background would have prevented it if different. On June 24, 2024, Oaklanders held a rally demanding Thao to publicly appear amidst all the unrest following a mass shooting at Lake Merritt on Juneteenth and the FBI raid on her home. Thao's absence during these incidents raised concerns among residents.
On Monday, June 24, 2024, Thao broke her silence and held a press conference where she stated,
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao faced a recall vote in November due to rising crime and the departure of the Oakland A’s
Thao claimed she was being targeted in the investigation and that her wealth or education background would have prevented it if different
Crime in Oakland had sharply increased since Thao took office in 2023, with violent crime and burglaries rising more than 20% from the previous year
A recall petition against Thao gained the necessary signatures to bring it to ballot in November
Accuracy
Thao implied that the FBI raid was connected to an ongoing recall effort against her and suggested there were ‘radical rightwing forces’ and ‘a handful of billionaires’ from San Francisco and Piedmont trying to oust her from office.
Thao provided no evidence to support her claims.
Recall campaign funded by some of the richest people in the Bay Area
Deception
(30%)
The author makes an unsubstantiated claim that if the mayor was rich, she wouldn't have been targeted in the FBI investigation. This is a form of selective reporting and emotional manipulation as it implies that her wealth would have protected her from scrutiny.
If I was rich, if I had gone to elite private schools or if I had come from money,
This wouldn’t have gone down the way it did if I was rich,
Fallacies
(80%)
The author, Alex Oliveira, makes an appeal to pity in the article when Mayor Sheng Thao states 'I am my ancestors' wildest dream.' This is an informal fallacy as it attempts to elicit an emotional response from the reader rather than presenting logical arguments. Additionally, there are dichotomous depictions throughout the article where Thao is portrayed as a victim of circumstance due to her background and wealth, while other politicians who have committed campaign finance violations are not subjected to FBI raids. This creates a false dichotomy and oversimplification of complex issues.
]I am my ancestors' wildest dream[/
This wouldn’t have gone down the way it did if I was rich, if I had gone to elite private schools or if I had come from money.
Bias
(80%)
The author makes a clear statement implying that the FBI's investigation into Mayor Thao is motivated by her wealth and background. This is an example of monetary bias.
“This wouldn’t have gone down the way it did if I was rich, if I had gone to elite private schools or if I had come from money.”
Mayor Thao's attorney, Tony Brass, has resigned as her counsel after she gave a press conference without informing him.
FBI raided Mayor Thao’s Oakland home late last week and she remained silent for several days about it.
In the news conference, Mayor Thao implied that the FBI raid was connected to an ongoing recall effort against her and suggested there were ‘radical rightwing forces’ and ‘a handful of billionaires’ from San Francisco and Piedmont trying to oust her from office.
Mayor Thao provided no evidence to support her claims.
Mayor Thao did not inform Brass about the news conference beforehand, despite a staff member telling media she would not be taking questions because her attorney advised her not to.
Accuracy
]Mayor Thao implied that the FBI raid was connected to an ongoing recall effort against her and suggested there were ‘radical rightwing forces’ and ‘a handful of billionaires’ from San Francisco and Piedmont trying to oust her from office.[
Deception
(30%)
The article reports that Mayor Thao's attorney was not informed about her press conference beforehand and that she made unsubstantiated claims about 'radical rightwing forces' and 'a handful of billionaires'. These statements are emotional manipulation and sensationalism. The author also selectively reports details, focusing only on those that support the mayor's position.
The mayor remained silent for several days, declining to speak about the raid or to address a mass shooting in Oakland Wednesday, in which 15 people were shot at a Juneteenth celebration. On Monday, she broke her silence, addressing the shooting briefly before launching into a fiery, and at times emotional statement about the raid.
She also at times suggested that there were ‘radical rightwing forces’ and a ‘handful of billionaires’ from San Francisco and Piedmont ‘hellbent’ on ousting her from office. She provided no evidence to support those claims.
Fallacies
(85%)
The authors make several implications without providing evidence to support their claims. They imply that there are 'radical rightwing forces' and 'a handful of billionaires' from San Francisco and Piedmont who are 'hellbent' on ousting Mayor Thao from office. These statements constitute an appeal to fear, as they attempt to evoke an emotional response in the reader without providing any concrete evidence.
][The authors] imply that there are 'radical rightwing forces' and 'a handful of billionaires' from San Francisco and Piedmont who are 'hellbent' on ousting Mayor Thao from office.[/
Bias
(90%)
The authors imply that there are 'radical rightwing forces' and a 'handful of billionaires' from San Francisco and Piedmont who are 'hellbent' on ousting Mayor Thao from office. This is an example of political bias as it demonizes individuals based on their political beliefs without providing any evidence.
There were ‘radical rightwing forces’ and a ‘handful of billionaires’ from San Francisco and Piedmont ‘hellbent’ on ousting her from office.
Oakland mayor Sheng Thao gave her first public remarks after FBI raided her home on Monday
Thao stated she has done nothing wrong and is not charged with a crime
Accuracy
Recall campaign funded by some of the richest people in the Bay Area
Deception
(70%)
The author makes several statements that imply deception through emotional manipulation and selective reporting. Thao's repeated assertion of her innocence without providing any evidence or context is an attempt to manipulate the reader's emotions. The author also selectively reports details, such as the timing of the raid in relation to the recall campaign, without providing any context or counter-arguments.
Backers of the recall say public safety and economic vitality have worsened under the politically progressive mayor, and that she should not have fired Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong.
I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me
I have done nothing wrong
It appears Thao and her son were home Thursday morning during the raid.
Fallacies
(95%)
The author makes an appeal to emotion when stating 'her parents came to this country fleeing genocide, they never could have imagined that their daughter would one day be mayor of Oakland. I am my ancestors’ wildest dream,' which is not a logical argument but rather an emotional one. However, this statement does not directly relate to any fallacious assertions made by the author and therefore should not significantly impact the score.
][author] I want to know why the day following the qualification of a recall election, funded by some of the richest people in the Bay Area, seemed like the right day to execute a warrant.[/]
[author] Her remarks, carried by FOX 2, come four days after FBI agents carried boxes out of the home she shares with her son and partner as part of an investigation that included searches of two other houses owned by another family.[
Thao claims she is being targeted because she didn’t grow up rich and privileged.
Recall supporters are calling for Thao’s immediate resignation and claim that Oakland cannot survive under her administration.
Accuracy
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao claims she is being targeted in the investigation and that her wealth or education background would have prevented it if different
Mayor Thao implied that the FBI raid was connected to an ongoing recall effort against her and suggested there were ‘radical rightwing forces’ and ‘a handful of billionaires’ from San Francisco and Piedmont trying to oust her from office.
Public safety and economic vitality are concerns raised in recall campaign against Thao
Deception
(30%)
The author makes editorializing statements and uses emotional manipulation by quoting the mayor's emotional response to the FBI search. The author also engages in selective reporting by only mentioning the recall organizers' criticism of the mayor without providing any context or balance. Lastly, there is a lack of disclosure regarding sources.
“I have no power over, we have no power over the FBI, the IRS, the U.S. Postal Service.”
“I want to be crystal clear: I have done nothing wrong.”
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes an appeal to pity when the mayor states, 'I will not be bullied, I will not be disparaged and I will not be threatened out of this office.' This is a form of emotional appeal fallacy.
]I will not be bullied, I will not be disparaged and I will not be threatened out of this office[
']Despite questions and a growing chorus of detractors, Thao remains adamant that she will not resign.[
Oaklanders held a rally demanding Mayor Sheng Thao to publicly appear on June 24, 2024
Mayor Sheng Thao was absent during a ‘spate of violence’ in Oakland
15 people were injured in a mass shooting at Lake Merritt on Juneteenth
FBI raided Mayor Sheng Thao’s home on an unknown matter
Accuracy
Mayor Sheng Thao was absent during a 'spate of violence' in Oakland
Deception
(0%)
The author uses emotional manipulation by stating 'People are dying, businesses are dying, our communities are dying' and 'even in broad daylight, just a block away from the police station, you don’t feel safe'. The author also uses selective reporting by only mentioning the negative aspects of Mayor Thao's actions and ignoring any positive contributions she may have made. There is no disclosure of sources in the article.
even in broad daylight, just a block away from the police station, you don’t feel safe
People are dying, businesses are dying, our communities are dying
Fallacies
(85%)
The author uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating 'People are dying, businesses are dying, our communities are dying' and 'even in broad daylight, just a block away from the police station, you don’t feel safe'. This implies that the situation in Oakland is dire and dangerous which may not be an objective assessment. The author also uses loaded language by stating 'evasion' and 'diminished presence' to describe Mayor Thao's absence from public events. Additionally, the author makes a dichotomous depiction by implying that either the mayor is present and addressing issues or she is absent and not doing her job.
]People are dying, businesses are dying, our communities are dying[
even in broad daylight, just a block away from the police station, you don’t feel safe
Bias
(90%)
The author uses language that depicts the mayor as absent and not doing her job, implying a negative assessment of her performance. The author also quotes others making similar statements about the mayor's absence and inaction.
People are dying, businesses are dying, our communities are dying, so there is no tomorrow if we don’t start the change now.
She is not here for the people. We expect her to be here when there are 15 people getting shot and stabbed a few days ago.
The mayor is absent, the mayor is not doing her job.
