Why don't the media care about Dems' ties to Farrakhan?
Lots of Democrats seem to friends with Louis Farrakhan. Even Obama has taken a picture. But Farrakhan has praised Hitler, blamed Jews for the 9/11 attacks and said white people deserve to die. Commentator Mark Steyn sounds off on the media's silence on the Dems-Farrakhan connection. #Tucker
The New York Times was widely scrutinized on Friday over a story headlined, “Why Is Louis Farrakhan Back in the News?”
The Times piece is essentially an explainer on why the anti-Semitic Farrakhan is back in the news, but the headline resulted in a slew of criticism, tied to criticism of the mainstream media for neglecting coverage of the story.
Mediaite columnist Joseph Wulfsohn recently published a piece pointing out that Farrakhan is “a glaring anomaly from the current denouncement culture” that is typically widespread among the mainstream media. Wulfsohn pointed out that Farrakhan has called white people “potential humans,” blamed Jewish people for the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and even once referred to Adolf Hitler as a “very great man.”
“The media has been largely silent on those who back Farrakhan,” Wulfsohn wrote.
The Times story explains that the 84-year-old head of the Nation of Islam is back in the news because he “gave an anti-Semitic speech at his organization’s annual convention last month” and a previously unreleased photo of Farrakhan and President Barack Obama was recently unearthed. The Times story goes on to explain the Nation of Islam, who exactly Farrakhan is and why liberal leaders such as Tamika Mallory were reluctant to denounce him.
While the content of the Times article could be helpful to some, it was simply too little, too late for others. When the paper tweeted a link to its story with the headline asking why Farrakhan was back in the news, Free Beacon reporter Alex Griswold responded, “Because we had to shame you into covering a major story, basically.”
Another user replied:, “Imagine their headline if the GOP was holding strategy sessions w/David Duke. The media is purposely not covering this story because they don't want to hurt Democrats midterm chances. It's obvious and pathetic!”
One reader responded: “That is easy. He is a racist religious bigot who is being embraced by people who claimed to be against both those things,” and another added, “If other publications had not forced the issue, your silence about this racist and his ties to the Democratic Party would have continued.”
“Better is why the racist New York Times doesn't treat liberal racists like Farrakhan the same as it does anyone that opposes open borders as racist? Racial double standards are racism,” one reader fired back.
Many others responded by pointing out that they were unaware Farrakhan is still alive, which further illustrated the lack of media coverage his recent rhetoric has received.
Farrakhan has recently posted several bizarre tweets regarding Jews this week, including the aforementioned tweet about government agencies, specifically the FBI. He has been accused of acting in an anti-Semitic manner previously, including by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2014.
Farrakhan has denied claims he is anti-Semitic.
The New York Times did not immediately respond to request for comment.
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