Full Breakdown
CBS News Staff Rebuke Bari Weiss Over Abdul El-Sayed Story
9/1/2026, 8:37:41 PM
The Controversial El-Sayed Piece
On a Monday, CBS News published a story that tied Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed—a former epidemiologist and public-health official from Michigan—to the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The article highlighted two deleted X posts in which El-Sayed compared pandemic deaths to the 9/11 death toll and urged a “global #WaronTerror”-style response to COVID-19. CBS’s own coverage noted that the pandemic had already killed more Americans than the 2001 attacks.
Staff Backlash and Internal Concerns
Several current and former CBS journalists told media-watchdog Status that the piece was “shameful” and exhibited “overt” racism. A former senior staffer echoed the sentiment, calling the story “shameful” and labeling the racism “overt.” An anonymous employee described the piece as “trash” and “horribly Islamophobic.” The backlash was framed as part of broader unease about editorial direction under editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who was installed after billionaire David Ellison acquired CBS’s parent company Paramount.
Official Comments from CBS Leadership
Darcy also reported that Weiss personally directed a headline change to specifically mention El-Sayed’s deleted tweets referencing the attacks. CBS standards staff were reportedly alerted to the story, but the outcome of any internal review was not disclosed.
Criticism Highlighted by Media Watchdog
The criticism underscores concerns that the story amplified a minor social-media post into a politically charged narrative tied to El-Sayed’s faith.
Verbatim Quote
“He didn’t praise the 9/11 attackers, minimize the horror of the terrorist attacks, or promote conspiracy theories as to what happened that day—unlike many high-profile figures in the MAGA movement,” — Status' Oliver Darcy
