Legal AF - Bias and Credibility - Media Bias/Fact Check

LEFT BIAS

These media sources are moderate to strongly biased toward liberal causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appealing to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit information that may damage liberal causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy. See all Left Bias sources.

Overall, we rate Michael Popok’s Substack as Left Biased based on its consistently negative framing of conservative figures and policies and its heavy reliance on emotionally loaded, opinionated legal commentary. We also rate it Mostly Factual for reporting due to the use of real-world legal events and court actions, but with reduced factual reliability because of selective sourcing, lack of primary document citations, and frequent omission of opposing viewpoints.

Detailed Report

Bias Rating: LEFT (-6.5)
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL (3.9)
Country: USA
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: MEDIUM CREDIBILITY

History

Michael Popok publishes a political–legal commentary newsletter, Legal AF, on the Substack platform. According to the publication’s About page, the newsletter focuses on breaking news and analysis at the intersection of law and politics and is curated by Popok in collaboration with the Legal AF brand. The publication is an extension of the Legal AF podcast and YouTube channel, which is affiliated with the MeidasTouch network and features commentary from Popok and other hosts on contemporary political and legal issues.

Read our profile on the United States media and government.

Funded by / Ownership

Legal AF is owned and operated by Michael Popok and is hosted on the Substack publishing platform. As disclosed within the publication, it is a reader-supported outlet funded through free and paid subscriptions processed by Substack, with no advertising revenue.

Analysis / Bias

Michael Popok’s Substack is a political legal commentary site that consistently frames news through a progressive, anti-Trump lens. For example, in the article “Trump Violates Constitution With Government Holiday Chaos?!”, Popok accuses Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of violating the Establishment Clause, using highly charged language and speculative assertions about intent and motivation.

Similarly, the article “Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Pro-Hate-Speech Policies on Christmas Day” employs emotionally loaded phrasing such as “PRO HATE SPEECH policies” and links Trump administration actions to broader ideological narratives involving Elon Musk and social media regulation.

Another example, “Trump Admin Fails Miserably as Their Incompetence Gets Exposed”, asserts a “coverup” related to the Epstein files without presenting original documentation to substantiate the claim. While Popok frequently references court actions and legal concepts, articles are opinion-driven, selectively framed, and rarely include direct links to primary court filings or neutral counterarguments, indicating strong editorial bias and limited balance.

Failed Fact Checks

No failed fact checks by IFCN-approved fact-checkers. However, the publication functions primarily as commentary rather than a traditional fact-reporting outlet.

Overall, we rate Michael Popok’s Substack as Left Biased based on its consistently negative framing of conservative figures and policies and its heavy reliance on emotionally loaded, opinionated legal commentary. We also rate it Mostly Factual for reporting due to the use of real-world legal events and court actions, but with reduced factual reliability because of selective sourcing, lack of primary document citations, and frequent omission of opposing viewpoints. (D. Van Zandt 12/27/2025)

Source: https://michaelpopok.substack.com/

Last Updated on December 27, 2025 by Media Bias Fact Check