The Media Research Center (MRC) reported that Apple News did not promote any of the 78 identified stories regarding the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) financial issues among its top 20 stories from January 1 to September 28, 2026. This period coincides with the lead-up to the midterm elections. MRC President David Bozell stated, "Apple isn’t curating the news. It’s running a high-tech protection racket for the political left."
The DNC has been facing financial difficulties, including nearly $16 million in debt attributed to the unsuccessful 2024 Biden-Harris campaign, as per Federal Election Commission filings. The campaign reportedly spent around $1.5 billion, leaving the DNC with $20.5 million in debt. In October 2025, the DNC took out a $15 million loan to support gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, but despite winning in both states, the DNC began 2026 with $17.5 million in debt, as reported by the New York Times.
Bozell criticized the media's focus on "dirty money in politics" when Republicans held fundraising advantages, suggesting that the current financial issues of the DNC were not receiving adequate coverage. The last comparable debt reported by the DNC was in 2014, when it owed approximately $16 million.
Calls for the resignation of DNC Chairman Ken Martin have emerged, with some donors shifting their support to other liberal organizations. The Republican National Committee (RNC) reportedly has $230 million in the bank with no debt.
MRC found that 78 different news outlets covered the DNC's financial troubles during the examined period, yet none of those articles appeared in Apple News' top 20 promoted stories. Notably, 14 stories from frequently promoted publications, including USA Today, The Guardian, The New York Times, and Politico, were also excluded.
Apple News, which has about 125 million monthly users, uses human editors to curate its content, unlike Google News and Microsoft’s MSN, which rely on algorithms. MRC's analysis involved examining the top 20 stories promoted by Apple News at 8:30 a.m. daily, using various search terms related to the DNC's financial situation. Researchers identified 78 potential stories and confirmed that 10 from routinely featured outlets were available on the platform.