Report: Weiss Ordered CBS 9/11 Headline on El-Sayed

Media Matters, on the left, called the piece "blatant Islamophobia" and a "bizarre attempt" to tie El-Sayed to the attacks, describing it as the latest evidence of a rightward shift at CBS News under Weiss. Raw Story reported that critics online called the headline "absolutely disgusting." Jezebel wrote that Weiss's CBS had "hit a new low."

Conservative outlets took the opposite view. Townhall said the framing cast El-Sayed as "the real victim of 9/11." Twitchy argued the CBS premise — that El-Sayed may face increased political attacks as the anniversary nears — was simply true. The Daily Wire and Hot Air both said the deleted posts, and the scrubbing of his pre-2023 timeline, are fair game for a Senate candidate.

On CNN Monday, Republican strategist David Urban grew emotional during a tense on-air exchange over 9/11 and El-Sayed, according to Mediaite.

El-Sayed has also drawn fire over his association with streamer Hasan Piker, who said America "deserved" 9/11 before retracting the remark. El-Sayed's campaign has called Republican Rep. Mike Rogers' characterizations of him "bad-faith lies."