CBS Correspondent Deletes Tweet After El‑Sayed Clash
CBS News correspondent Jan Crawford removed a tweet that mocked Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El‑Sayed following a town‑hall showdown.
El‑Sayed answered voter Tommy’s demand that he disavow the Muslim Brotherhood by asking why Tommy assumed dual loyalty based on his faith.
“Sure,” El‑Sayed said. “Yeah, absolutely. But I want to ask the question that you’re asking: Why are you asking the question?”
He later posted the clip, labeling Tommy’s query a “nanosecond ‘yeah absolutely’ response” that turned into a “three‑minute diatribe” proving Tommy’s point.
Crawford’s original tweet praised the exchange as a “spectacular self own” and urged viewers to watch the clip twice.
She deleted the post on Sunday, saying it violated CBS News standards.
El‑Sayed’s campaign called the family‑tie allegations “racist and untrue,” noting his sister‑in‑law, Mariam Jukaku, had been named in a 2016 federal terrorist‑watchlist lawsuit.
“She did nothing wrong and was captured on that and then sued and got off,” El‑Sayed told Fox News senior correspondent Mike Tobin.
He added that the system “guilt‑trips people because of names” and referenced former NSA director Mike Rogers.
Critics on the left demanded Crawford’s firing, arguing she amplified a GOP operative’s smear campaign against a Muslim candidate.
“No Jan — you got caught red handed trying to help prop up a paid GOP operative who was there to spread false, racist lies about Abdul because he is Muslim. Shame on you,” Democratic consultant Karen Finney said.
“She SHOULD be fired, but it’s CBS news, so she’ll get promoted,” progressive strategist Ketih Edwards wrote.
Zeteo CEO Mehdi Hasan condemned the reporter, labeling her a “straight news” figure who amplified a smear.
NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck defended Crawford, saying attacks on her ignore double standards across media outlets.
“The double standard is glaring. Reporters from CNN, MS NOW, The New York Times, and Washington Post tweet incendiary takes daily, and none face criticism,” Houck said.
El‑Sayed’s campaign reiterated that the Muslim Brotherhood claims are baseless.
Fox News Digital has not yet received a comment from the candidate’s team.
Lindsay Kornick, associate editor at Fox News Digital, can be reached at lindsay.kornick@fox.com.
