Full Breakdown
CBS News’ 9/11-Linked Story Sparks Backlash Over Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed
9/2/2026, 2:19:25 AM
Core Event
CBS News published a story on a Monday that highlighted two deleted social-media posts by Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. The story’s headline explicitly referenced the September 11 attacks, a decision directed by editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.
Background & Context
El-Sayed, a former public-health official and son of Egyptian immigrants, has faced Islamophobic attacks throughout his campaign. A 2021 post mourned the 9/11 victims while also condemning the roughly one-million deaths in the wars that followed. El-Sayed’s campaign previously said it deleted all posts older than July 2023 to avoid “out-of-context” use.
Data & Statistics
- Two deleted posts from April 2020 compared the COVID-19 death toll to the ? 3,000 deaths on September 11, 2001.
- A third post from September 11, 2021 mourned 9/11 victims and the subsequent war-related casualties.
- CBS News verified the two 2020 posts as previously unreported; the 2021 post had first been reported by the Washington Free Beacon.
Official Statements & Responses
CBS News described the deleted posts as “newsworthy” and noted El-Sayed’s association with Twitch streamer Hasan Piker as potentially relevant to voters. The spokesperson also characterized Rep.
Criticism & Opposition
Progressive lawmakers and commentators condemned the CBS framing as Islamophobic. Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) called the headline “blatantly racist,” while Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) labeled the coverage “disgusting” and “intentional.”
Another former employee described the coverage as “overt racism.”
Center-right observers, including Fox News, noted that the story drew “far-left” criticism and highlighted the network’s editorial direction under Weiss.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- CBS presented the deleted posts as evidence of potential extremist views, while El-Sayed’s campaign emphasized his condemnation of terrorism and framed the posts as public-health advocacy.
- No definitive evidence has emerged that El-Sayed endorsed extremist positions; the controversy centers on interpretation of his past rhetoric.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Is any specific tweet going to matter for the general election? It seems unlikely,” — Matt Grossmann, a political scientist at Michigan State University
- “My point is just to say that what happened on 9/11 is a disaster,” — Abdul El-Sayed, spokesperson
- “El-Sayed has what I call a 'Quacks like a duck problem,'” — Adrian Hemond, a bipartisan political consultant based in Lansing
- “There’s no way I’m ever coming out for El-Sayed.” — Rep. Brad Sherman, a California Democrat, claimed Piker endorsed Hamas fighters raping children
- “As the nation prepares to mark 25 years since Sept. 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,” — CBS News, editor in chief
- “What happened on 9/11 is a disaster. It was a terrible attack on our country,” — Abdul El-Sayed, spokesperson
What’s Next
El-Sayed faces Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the November general election for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat. Both campaigns are expected to reference the 9/11-related controversy as the anniversary approaches, and CBS News’ editorial decisions under Bari Weiss remain a focal point for broader debates about media bias and Islamophobia in American politics.
