CBS Staffers Demand Termination of Jan Crawford Over Controversial Social Media Post
CBS News faces internal backlash as staff call for Jan Crawford's firing following a controversial social media post targeting candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
POLICY WIRE — New York, USA — CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford will remain with the network despite mounting internal pressure to terminate her employment following a contentious social media post regarding Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
The controversy stems from a Sunday post in which Crawford praised a heckler who confronted El-Sayed, who is Muslim, by demanding he disavow the Muslim Brotherhood. The heckler’s line of questioning mirrored a smear campaign utilized by El-Sayed’s Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.
In the now-deleted post, Crawford wrote, “Tommy, thank you. I had to watch this twice to catch Dr. Abdul El-Sayed’s nanosecond, ‘yeah, absolutely,’ response. His subsequent uninterrupted diatribe proving your exact point is the kind of spectacular self-own is the kind ppl only dream about triggering. Congrats.”
Although Crawford acknowledged that her actions breached CBS News standards and issued an apology, network insiders informed Zeteo media columnist Justin Baragona on Wednesday that she will face no formal disciplinary action.
Staff members within the network have expressed significant frustration, arguing that Crawford’s behavior constituted a clear violation of journalistic standards by adopting a partisan stance and disseminating false information. One employee noted that the incident serves as a litmus test for management’s commitment to maintaining the network’s credibility.
Another staffer characterized the lack of consequences as an implicit acceptance of anti-Muslim sentiment. Concerns have been raised that Crawford may be shielded by her close professional relationship with CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, who holds final authority over disciplinary decisions.
According to internal sources, Weiss has reportedly indicated that she does not believe Crawford committed any wrongdoing. Furthermore, reports suggest that Weiss has directed the newsroom to investigate potential connections between El-Sayed and the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist political organization established in Egypt in 1928.
Semafor previously reported that journalists at the network were encouraged to pursue stories linking the candidate to the group. CBS News has been contacted for comment regarding these developments.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
