AP Photo/Julia Demarée Nikhinson
The Washington Post faces criticism for article about viral video featuring ‘young man’ questioning Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdoul El-Sayed but omitting the fact that “Tommy” was a Republican agent.
The incident in question occurred during one of El-Sayed’s campaign events this weekend, during which an attendee identifying himself as “Tommy” asked about the Muslim Brotherhood, a talking point pushed by the Republican candidate, former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI).
“Are you going to disavow the Muslim Brotherhood? asked Tommy.
“Of course. Yeah, absolutely,” El-Sayed replied. “Why do you ask?” »
“Well, because they’re a terrorist group,” Tommy said.
“But what are you insinuating?” » asked El-Sayed. “Do you think I wouldn’t?”
“Yes,” Tommy replied, “because I haven’t heard you disavow them yet.”
“You ask because you implicitly assume that I will have dual loyalties, correct?” El-Sayed retorted. “You assume that somehow I will not disavow it, or that I will have an allegiance of a higher order than the Constitution.”
What followed were several minutes of El-Sayed discussing the Constitution and its protections of religious freedoms for Christians, Muslims, atheists and all Americans. The video was widely shared by both El-Sayed and his supporters, as well as his detractors; The above tweet posted by El-Sayed along with the video had been viewed more than 14 million times at the time of writing.
Independent liberal journalist Marisa Kabas identified “Tommy” as Thomas Teepelland delved into Teepell’s professional history as well as that of his father Timmy Teepell long career as a GOP strategist. Teepell was “not an ordinary citizen” of this small Michigan town, Kabas writes, “but a longtime right-wing activist with ties to Josh Hawley, Bobby Jindaland one of the country’s most influential Christian nationalists.
The Wall Street Journal And The guardian independently confirmed Kabas’ information, identifying Teepell as the “young man” who questioned El-Sayed, as well as his history of working with Hawley and other Republicans. THE Guardian The report further notes that accusations that El-Sayed has “family ties” to the Muslim Brotherhood came from an article on a conservative website that “resurfaced on social media by his half-sister, a professor at the University of Chicago.” Eman Abdelhadidescribing their mother’s activism within the group in the 1970s”, but “there is no evidence that El-Sayed was personally involved; he was born in the 1980s and not raised by his biological mother,” and “called the suggestion that a member of his family participated “an insane thing to assume.”
Sunday afternoon, the Job published an article by Erin Cox about the argument between El-Sayed and Teepell, the headline was “El-Sayed’s exchange on the Muslim Brotherhood draws inspiration and condemnation,” which covered the variety of partisan responses to the video.
In the article, Cox identifies Teepell as “a young man,” “a young man who identified himself as ‘Tommy,’ “the questioner,” “the man,” and as someone “who said he identifies as a Christian who lives by Christian doctrine.”
At no point in the article does Cox mention that Teepell is a Republican or a conservative, much less a Republican consultant, the son of a Republican consultant.
This omission sparked accusations of “journalistic malpractice” and other criticism.
Wrote Norman Ornsteineditor-in-chief of The Atlantic: “I had to read this twice to be sure of a credible fact; this Washington Post article about El-Sayed’s exchange with ‘Tommy’ doesn’t even mention that Tommy is a paid right-wing political operative, an employee of Josh Hawley. Journalistic malpractice.”
It’s unclear what time Kabas’ message was posted on Sunday; its website doesn’t include a timestamp (which could be changed anyway), but I found a tweet sharing the article at 9:07 a.m. ET on Sunday. THE Job the article was published at 4:15 p.m. ET, seven hours later.
Another commenter tagged Matt Murray, THE Messages editor, citing the Guardian report and suggesting that the article should have “provided full context” about Teepell’s affiliations.
Below are several other reactions to the Post’s omission of Teepell’s history of Republican activism.
El-Sayed was initially seen as a weaker candidate in the general election against Rogers, his Republican opponent, but a series of recent polls give him a single-digit lead. The current Real Clear Politics polling average has El-Sayed up 2.6 points.
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