‘F***ing Kidding Me’: Ben Shapiro And the NYT Trade Jabs Over 9/11 Coverage Criticism

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The New York Times communications team replied to right-wing commentators criticizing its 9/11 memorial coverage with a savage clapback on Friday.

Ben Shapiro posted to X on Friday, writing, “If you were an alien who landed on Earth this morning, and you were reading the top headlines on the NYT’s webpage, you would immediately assume that 9/11 was an attack on Muslims.”

The Times’s comms account swiftly replied, “This misleading statement is nothing more than a disingenuous attempt to seek attention and stoke outrage by misrepresenting The New York Times’s journalism covering the anniversary and commemoration of the Sept. 11 attacks. In the 25 years since that day, we have led the way on reporting on the event, its human toll, and resulting societal shifts. Audiences can see for themselves The Times’s coverage now, which features a deep and diverse set of journalism reflecting on a globally significant event.”

The Times’s response included a screenshot of its homepage, which included several 9/11 headlines from various angles.

“Are you f***ing kidding me right now? This was the top of your homepage about three hours ago,” Shapiro shot back.

Conservative media critic Stephen L. Miller shared a Times headline about Islamophobic attacks on NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) and added, “The New York Times on 9/11.”

The Times replied to Miller with the same statement it offered Shapiro. Miller hit back and wrote, “I didn’t editorialize, or put up an opinion. I simply posted what the New York Times chose to publish on 9/11. And the NY Times Comms is struggling with it.”

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