SICKENING Deleted 9/11 Posts Haunt Abdul El-Sayed

CBS verified deleted posts from Abdul El-Sayed that compare 9/11 reactions to COVID-19 and U.S. war dead—and the blowback now defines his race.

Story Snapshot

CBS says it verified two deleted posts that invoked 9/11 alongside COVID and war deaths.
One quoted post mourned 9/11 victims, then cited casualties tied to U.S. wars after the attacks.
The campaign says it deleted all pre-July 2023 posts to avoid out-of-context attacks.
El-Sayed says he condemns 9/11 terrorism and meant a public-health and anti-war point.

What CBS Verified And Why It Hit A Nerve

CBS News reported two deleted posts from Abdul El-Sayed that it says it verified. The posts asked Americans to show the same urgency for the pandemic as they did after 9/11, and also weighed the human cost of post-9/11 wars. A separate CBS Detroit report quoted a Sept. 11, 2021 post that mourned 9/11 victims, then cited about one million deaths and damage in multiple countries tied to U.S. actions after the attacks. That mix—9/11, COVID-19, and war—triggered a fast media storm.

The campaign told Politico, and CBS reported, that staff deleted all posts older than July 2023 to prevent old words from being twisted out of context. CBS did not report when the deletions happened, which left room for critics to say this looked like concealment timed to the campaign. In today’s politics, vague timelines invite bad-faith readings. When the story involves 9/11, patience for nuance drops to zero.

The Post That Set Off The Firestorm

CBS Detroit quoted the full thrust of the Sept. 11, 2021 message: mourn the 3,000 lost and thousands hurt in New York, then mourn the far larger war toll “in my country’s name” the next day. Several outlets framed it as equating 9/11 with U.S. actions after the attacks, which widened the blast radius across the media map. The Washington Free Beacon was credited as first to surface that post, giving the narrative a traceable origin for critics to cite.

El-Sayed pushed back. He said he condemns terrorism and the attacks, calling 9/11 a disaster and a terrible strike on America. He argued his point was about saving lives and avoiding wars we should not fight, while still honoring the dead from that day. The Intercept called at least one disputed post a bland observation about war costs and quoted a line urging that we save lives rather than take them.

The Political Math: Why Comparisons Backfire

Casualty comparisons read like moral math to many voters. On 9/11, that feels cold. Americans expect leaders to mark that day with clarity: name the evil, honor the fallen, and respect those who served. When a candidate blends that solemn moment with larger critiques of policy, the message can land as a shrug at the evil that started it. On the facts, CBS had enough to publish the verified posts; that is normal reporting, not a smear.

Abdul El-Sayed deleted 11 tweets from 2020-2022 that downplayed 9/11 and equated America’s response with terror attacks.

— Brad Berkowitz (@BradBerkowitz) September 3, 2026

From a conservative common-sense lens, the line is simple. Remember 9/11 without hedging. Separate memorial words from policy debates. If a candidate chooses to merge them, they should expect voters to ask whether they see America first or as the main culprit. El-Sayed says he mourns the victims and rejects terror; those are the right words. The record also shows he chose a day and a frame that many families and veterans will not forgive.

What Still Is Not Clear

Key details remain fuzzy. The available record does not show native post captures for all the items now in play, which forces people to lean on outlet verification over direct archives. The exact timing of deletions is also unclear, which weakens claims about intent to hide or to perform routine cleanup. Those gaps do not undo the verified quotes but they do leave room for both sides to spin. That is the oxygen for today’s outrage economy.

How Voters Should Read This

Voters can hold two truths. First, 9/11 deserves unblended respect. Second, America’s policy choices should face scrutiny. Wise leaders keep those signals separate, especially on Sept. 11. The lesson for any candidate is basic: if you would not say it at a firehouse memorial, do not post it on that date. The lesson for voters is just as clear: judge the record, not the noise—and demand timelines, originals, and context before you decide.