The involvement of CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss in a report about Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has ignited intense debate on social media. CBS News faced criticism from the far-left after a report highlighted El-Sayed’s deleted posts about 9/11, linking them to the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack.
CBS News wrote, “As the nation prepares to mark 25 years since September 11, 2001, Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, may be facing the risk of renewed scrutiny and fresh political attack.” The report focused on El-Sayed’s deleted posts related to the September 11 attacks.
Later, Status News reported Weiss had praised the report in an editorial meeting and personally directed changes to the headline. The revised headline “Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed’s deleted tweets on Sept. 11 attacks invite scrutiny of past remarks,” added context to the report’s substance. Fox News Digital learned the prior headline read, “For Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, Sept. 11 commemoration invites scrutiny of past remarks.”
CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss was personally involved in the story about El-Sayed, according to Status News.
Many on the left viewed Weiss’ involvement in the story as scandalous. MeidasTouch reacted on social media, deeming it “a major scandal for CBS.” Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan criticized Weiss as an “undisguised Islamophobe,” asserting that Islamophobia has become normalized in American media. Democratic strategist and podcast host Dan Turrentine commented, “Not a good look whatsoever.” Former Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin urged Democrats to block CBS from hosting debates featuring Democratic candidates.
Conversely, many conservatives dismissed the left’s reactions and praised Weiss’s work. National Review senior editor Charles C.W. Cooke responded sarcastically, acknowledging Weiss’s role as the editor-in-chief. The Federalist editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway commended Weiss for improving journalism within her responsibilities. Washington Free Beacon reporter Chuck Ross humorously noted an editor’s job involves editing. GOP strategist Matt Whitlock highlighted El-Sayed’s deleted tweets as newsworthy, citing his past comments related to 9/11.
The CBS report referenced El-Sayed’s deleted posts, including comparisons between the nearly 3,000 Americans killed on 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic death toll. Another post on September 11, 2021, contrasted the 9/11 casualties with those resulting from conflicts involving the U.S.
El-Sayed addressed his deleted posts when confronted by a CBS News reporter during the campaign, stating, “What happened on 9/11 is a disaster. It was a terrible attack on our country.” He emphasized the importance of building an America that protects servicemen and women from participating in unnecessary wars.
A CBS News source familiar with the matter dismissed the criticism, explaining that reports about deleted posts from politicians are commonplace.
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