Optics
← Today's headlines

6 sources checked · 2 source groups included · 3h ago

Still Watching

Trump offered to sell arms to China, US ambassador says

Most headlines state Trump "offered to sell" arms, while some specify he "asked" China's president directly.

4 Left2 Center0 Right
Still watching. Optics is waiting for a cleaner match before calling the split.

STILL WATCHING

As of September 28, 2026 at 1:29 AM, this is how Optics News reads the wording differences in this story.

What happened Trump and Xi are central to coverage of a China meeting involving Iran, trade, and U.S.-China relations.
The headline split The headlines are mostly aligned. The differences are small wording choices, not a major framing split.
Match confidence Medium confidence. 6 sources across 2 bias buckets. Useful framing signal — check the source list before sharing.
Same-event confidenceMedium

6 sources across 2 bias buckets agree on the event.

Framing confidenceMostly same

20/99 — the outlets mostly agree on the headline takeaway.

WHAT EACH SIDE EMPHASIZED

Left / center-leftTrump Offered to Sell Arms to China, U.S. Ambassador Says

New York Times Politics · Center-left · News report

CenterTrump offered to sell arms to China, US ambassador says

The Straits Times · Center · News report

Right / center-rightNo matching source in this bucket yet.

Optics keeps watching for pickup.

SEE THE HEADLINES

Center-leftMostly Factual
New York Times PoliticsNews report · Sep 27, 11:33 PM

Trump Offered to Sell Arms to China, U.S. Ambassador Says

Offered to Sell

President Trump made the offer to Xi Jinping, China’s leader, said David Perdue, the ambassador to China. The White House later said the U.S. had no plans for such a sale.

Open source
Center-leftMostly Factual
The HinduNews report · Sep 28, 1:29 AM

Trump asked China’s President if he wants to buy U.S. arms, Ambassador says

askedChina’s President

David Perdue said Mr. Trump raised the prospect of the arms sales from the U.S. to its ascendant geopolitical rival, an unlikely offer that, if consummated, would upend generations of U.S....

Open source
LeftMixed
The Guardian UKNews report · Sep 28, 12:52 AM

Trump asked Xi Jinping if China would like to buy US weapons, American ambassador says

askedXi Jinping

David Perdue’s remarks come after a Taiwanese minister spoke of the ‘severe’ military threat posed by Beijing to the self-ruled island Donald Trump offered to sell weapons to China while ho...

Open source
Center-leftHigh
The Seattle TimesNews report · Sep 28, 12:49 AM

Trump Offered to Sell Arms to China, U.S. Ambassador Says

Offered to Sell

President Donald Trump has asked Chinese President Xi Jinping whether he would like to buy U.S. weapons, David Perdue, the U.S. ambassador to China, said in a television interview Sunday.

Open source
CenterMostly Factual
The Straits TimesNews report · Sep 28, 12:23 AM

Trump offered to sell arms to China, US ambassador says

The White House said through a US official that the US had no plans to sell arms to China.

Open source
CenterHigh
WPLG Local 10 (Berkshire/Graham, Miami)News report · Sep 28, 12:13 AM

Trump asked China's president if he wants to buy US arms, ambassador says

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has justified the pending U.S. arms sale to Taiwan to Chinese President Xi Jinping by downplaying it as just one of many sales Washington makes arou...

Open source
Details20/99 Wording Gap · Medium confidence · 6 sources
20/99 Wording GapMedium confidence6 sources · 2 bias bucketsLive match · 6 sources · 2 buckets · comparable news formatFormats: News report

SOURCE MAP CHANGES

Sep 27, 11:33 PM: New York Times Politics joined the source map.

Sep 28, 12:13 AM: WPLG Local 10 (Berkshire/Graham, Miami) joined the source map.

Sep 28, 12:23 AM: The Straits Times joined the source map.

Sep 28, 12:49 AM: The Seattle Times joined the source map.

Now: Wording Gap is 20/99 and story health is live match · 6 sources · 2 buckets · comparable news format.