CNN is drawing heavy backlash online after deleting an X post regarding the two Muslim teenagers who were arrested last weekend after throwing explosives during an ISIS-inspired terror plot.
An anti-Muslim protest in New York City on March 7 turned violent when the two protesters, who crossed state lines and came from Pennsylvania, tossed IEDs near Gracie Mansion. Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested and told New York Police Department officials that they watched ISIS videos, and one of the two pledged allegiance to ISIS when speaking with officers.
The two teenagers face several charges, including attempted material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (ISIS), use of a weapon of mass destruction, transportation of explosive materials, interstate transportation, receipt of explosives, and unlawful possession of destructive devices.
When linking to a news story on Tuesday morning, CNN included the following text:
“Two Pennsylvania teenagers crossed into New York City Saturday morning for what could’ve been a normal day enjoying the city during abnormally warm weather,” CNN wrote on X. “But in less than an hour, their lives would drastically change as the pair would be arrested for throwing homemade bombs during an anti-Muslim protest outside of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home. Here’s what we know so far.”
Too late CNN. https://t.co/Fp4SrYrILN pic.twitter.com/z6pRlwpTiu
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 10, 2026
CNN later deleted that post and acknowledged the decision in a follow-up X post.
“A post regarding the two individuals arrested for throwing homemade bombs outside of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home failed to reflect the gravity of the incident thereby breaching the editorial standards we require for all our reporting,” the second post read. “It has therefore been deleted.”
The text in the since-deleted post came from a CNN article originally titled, “Two men were charged for throwing makeshift bombs near the NYC mayor’s home. Here’s what we know.” That headline has since been changed to “What we know about the 2 terror suspects accused of tossing makeshift bombs near the NYC mayor’s home.”
Additionally, the story only initially listed Taylor Romine and Gloria Pazmino as authors. A third contributor, Holly Yan, was added to the byline later.
CNN issued a similar statement atop the story itself.
“A previous version of this story included a summary that does not reflect the gravity of the incident, thereby breaching the editorial standards we require for all our reporting,” that statement reads. “It therefore has been changed.”
News has always framed the narrative. I just didn’t see it until COVID, when they lied about everything.
Headlines serve two purposes: political rhetoric and clickbait for money.
They’re critical of citizen journalists for two reasons:
1. Citizen journalists offer alternative… https://t.co/RIzYIS7rar
— Amy Reichert (@amyforsandiego) March 10, 2026
Arizona Rep. Eli Crane ripped CNN for the follow-up post failing to reference the terrorism links. Libs of TikTok called CNN a “complete disgrace.”
“CNN got this headline wrong,” Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt said on X. “It should be: ‘Two radical Islamic terrorists came to NYC pledging allegiance to ISIS with bombs meant to kill Americans.’ There. Fixed it for you.”
The incident came amid growing tensions involving American citizens and the Islamic community. Numerous politicians, including Florida Rep. Randy Fine and Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles, have called for Muslims to be deported. Ogles said in an X post on Monday that Muslims “don’t belong in American society.”
Fine and President Donald Trump have suggested that Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, who is from Somalia but obtained U.S. citizenship in 2000, should be deported or leave the country. The anti-Islam protest that Balat and Kayumi attacked was organized by right-wing activist Jake Lang, who brought a fully cooked pig to the gathering. Muslims do not eat pork for religious reasons.
“Every CNN employee who participated in writing, approving, and posting this needs to be terminated,” StopAntisemitism, a pro-Israel activist group, wrote on X. “An absolute disgrace to the field of journalism.”
