There's been condsiderable backlash to a CNN story centered on a now-deleted social media post (tweet on X) about two Pennsylvania teenagers arrested in New York City for allegedly throwing homemade bombs (improvised explosive devices, or IEDs) during a protest outside Mayor Zohran Mamdani's residence (Gracie Mansion) on Saturday.
The incident involved Emir Balat, 18 (a high school senior from Langhorne, Bucks County, near Philadelphia), and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19 (from Newtown, also Bucks County).
Authorities described it as an ISIS-inspired attack motivated by extremist ideology. The suspects face serious federal charges, including providing material support to a terrorist organization, using a weapon of mass destruction, transportation of explosive materials, and unlawful possession of destructive devices.
One suspect reportedly shouted "ISIS" during arrest, and the other allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The devices were thrown into a crowd at an anti-Islam (or anti-Muslim) protest and counterprotest but failed to fully explode, emitting smoke instead.
CNN's original X post framed the story this way: "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. 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."
Critics, primarily from conservative commentators, media watchdogs, and users on X, accused CNN of downplaying the severity by referring to the suspects as ordinary "Pennsylvania teenagers" out for a casual day trip.
Omitting key context like the terrorism allegations, ISIS inspiration, or the potential lethality of the act.
Using soft, narrative language that portrayed the suspects sympathetically (e.g., focusing on how their "lives would drastically change") rather than emphasizing the alleged terror plot.
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The post was widely mocked as "bizarre," "outrageous," an "absolute disgrace," and an example of media bias or concealment of the truth. Outlets like Fox News, The Gateway Pundit, and others highlighted it as another case of CNN minimizing threats tied to Islamist extremism.
Even CNN media analyst Brian Stelter acknowledged the tweet was "outrageous" while noting the network's full story was solid.
CNN quickly deleted the post and issued a statement: "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. It has therefore been deleted."
Subsequent CNN coverage described the suspects as "terror suspects" in an ISIS-inspired attack and provided more details on the charges and investigation.