A now-deleted post from CNN downplaying a terror incident in New York City is drawing new scrutiny and, according to Media Research Center President David Bozell, it reveals deeper problems in the media’s approach to serious national security stories.
During an appearance on Newsmax’s The Big Take, host Ed Henry highlighted CNN’s controversial social media post describing two suspects accused of throwing improvised explosive devices outside the mayor’s residence as “two Pennsylvania teenagers on what could have been a normal day enjoying New York City during abnormally warm weather.”
The post quickly sparked backlash online. CNN later deleted it, admitting the language “failed to reflect the gravity of the incident.”
Bozell said the episode was revealing.
“The first thing I thought about was that old adage: a drunk man’s words are a sober man’s thoughts,” Bozell said. “Some intern’s Twitter thumbs got ahold of this story and decided to ruin it for CNN today.”
CNN's now-deleted post about the NYC Muslim terrorists shouldn't have come as a surprise.
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) March 10, 2026
One of the co-authors of the piece is a she with they/them pronouns.@DavidBozell on with @edhenry pic.twitter.com/MTuKDKvfPA
According to Bozell, the network also revised the underlying article multiple times throughout the day as criticism mounted — a sign, he suggested, of deeper editorial confusion.
Henry then pointed to a striking new NBC News poll showing Democrats facing serious favorability problems with voters. The survey found the Democratic Party with a net favorability of –22, placing it below both Republicans and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — an agency frequently attacked by Democrats and the media.
Bozell argued those numbers are even more remarkable given the overwhelmingly negative coverage ICE receives from major networks.
MRC President @Davidbozell joins @edhenry to talk about how the Leftist media have waged a war against ICE, and yet the agency still polls higher than Democrats.
— Media Research Center (@theMRC) March 10, 2026
"The press was 93% negative against ICE following the shooting of Renee Good in January." pic.twitter.com/D5EDxiFCkD
According to research from the Media Research Center, broadcast coverage of ICE following a high-profile shooting earlier this year was 93 percent negative. Reports from ABC News and NBC News included 21 negative soundbites about ICE compared to just two positive ones, while CBS News aired 26 negative soundbites and only one positive.
At the same time, the networks spent just 1.6 percent of their coverage discussing the crimes ICE was actually investigating.
“If the press had covered ICE fairly,” Bozell argued, “imagine how much better ICE’s numbers would be compared to the Democrats.”
For Bozell, the results show that even after months of overwhelmingly negative coverage, ICE is still viewed more favorably than the Democratic Party — a reality that raises serious questions about both media narratives and the Democrats’ standing with voters.
