The involvement of CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss in a report about Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has sparked a heated debate on social media. The network faced criticism from far-left circles over a report highlighting El-Sayed’s deleted posts related to 9/11 alongside the upcoming 25th anniversary of the attacks.
Debate over the CBS Report
CBS News emphasized the potential scrutiny El-Sayed might face due to his past remarks. The report titled, “Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s deleted tweets on Sept. 11 attacks invite scrutiny of past remarks,” was reportedly influenced by Weiss. Her involvement in directing the headline to focus on El-Sayed’s deleted tweets was highlighted by Status News.
“A major scandal for CBS,” reacted the liberal outlet MeidasTouch on social media platform X.
Critics like Mehdi Hasan expressed concern over perceived Islamophobia within American media, while others like Democratic strategist Dan Turrentine and former Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin called for CBS News to be excluded from hosting debates with Democratic candidates.
Conservative Reactions
Conversely, many conservatives dismissed the backlash, seeing it as an editor performing their duty. Figures like Charles C.W. Cooke, Mollie Hemingway, Chuck Ross, and Matt Whitlock supported Weiss’s actions, viewing the examination of El-Sayed’s deleted posts as relevant, especially after circulating remarks from his campaign.
El-Sayed’s prior social media posts compared the 9/11 death toll to that of the coronavirus pandemic. A post from 2021 mourned the victims of 9/11 while criticizing military actions done in the United States’ name.
El-Sayed’s Response
El-Sayed addressed the controversy by acknowledging the tragedy of 9/11 and emphasizing the need to rethink military engagements that affect American servicemen and women.
A source from CBS News indicated such reports about politicians’ deleted posts are common, downplaying the criticisms.