Politico is being criticized by many on social media for allowing conservative radio host Ben Shapiro to guest edit its political newsletter.
“I would appreciate if someone from @politico would read all the racist things Ben Shapiro has said about Arabs and Muslims here and then explain why they chose to give him a platform,” CNN political analyst Sabrina Siddiqui tweeted in response to a guest column from Shapiro headlined “POLITICO Playbook: The real reason most Republicans opposed impeachment.”
I would appreciate if someone from @politico would read all the racist things Ben Shapiro has said about Arabs and Muslims here and then explain why they chose to give him a platform https://t.co/bH5CmhiqE4
— Sabrina Siddiqui (@SabrinaSiddiqui) January 14, 2021
“The fact Politico gave prime real estate to Ben Shapiro the day after he claimed *everyone* has zip tie restraints at home in an attempt to minimize the Capitol riots and it all being sponsored by the oil and gas lobby tells you more about DC than any newsletter scoop could,” Yahoo News White House correspondent Hunter Walker tweeted.
The fact Politico gave prime real estate to Ben Shapiro the day after he claimed *everyone* has zip tie restraints at home in an attempt to minimize the Capitol riots and it all being sponsored by the oil and gas lobby tells you more about DC than any newsletter scoop could.
— Hunter Walker (@hunterw) January 14, 2021
“I understand the desire to have balance, but lying about stuff like Ben Shapiro does in this column (comparing Bernie Sanders to Trump, equivocating Trump’s voter fraud lies with Stacey Abrams) isn’t really a ‘side’ that needs to be platformed,” Vox’s Aaron Rupar tweeted.
I understand the desire to have balance, but lying about stuff like Ben Shapiro does in this column (comparing Bernie Sanders to Trump, equivocating Trump’s voter fraud lies with Stacey Abrams) isn’t really a “side” that needs to be platformed https://t.co/xfiH4TkIKX
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 14, 2021
“As an example, Black and brown experts & advocates get deplatformed for talking about Palestine,” liberal political activist Linda Sarsour tweeted. “Ben Shapiro – with a history of racist, anti-Arab and Islamophobic views – gets awarded a platform on Politico. Whiteness wins again.”
As an example, Black and brown experts & advocates get deplatformed for talking about Palestine.
Ben Shapiro – with a history of racist, anti-Arab and Islamophobic views – gets awarded a platform on Politico.
Whiteness wins again.
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) January 14, 2021
“Horrid that @politico gave a platform to Ben Shapiro when he’s unapologetically promoted violent & dehumanizing bigotry against Muslims & Arabs—including calling Muslims a disease, radical, at war, & live in open sewage Would Politico elevate someone who said this about Jews?” author Qasim Rashid tweeted.
Horrid that @politico gave a platform to Ben Shapiro when he’s unapologetically promoted violent & dehumanizing bigotry against Muslims & Arabs—including calling Muslims a disease, radical, at war, & live in open sewage
Would Politico elevate someone who said this about Jews? pic.twitter.com/uc5vyS70TC
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) January 14, 2021
Shapiro responded to the controversy by encouraging distressed readers to “keep at it.”
“People losing their s*** over me writing @politico Playbook this morning are pretty much proving my point,” the Daily Wire co-founder tweeted. “So keep at it guys, you’re doing great!”
People losing their s*** over me writing @politico Playbook this morning are pretty much proving my point. So keep at it guys, you’re doing great! https://t.co/JQ7qjHV16u
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 14, 2021
Politico did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
“We published a piece by a very prominent writer, provocateur, and podcaster,” Politico Editor-in-Chief Matt Kaminski reportedly said about the decision to host Shapiro. “We stand by every word in there, it was very closely edited.”
