The New York Times on Thursday said a controversial editorial penned by Sen. Tom Cotton it recently published has since been determined to fall short of the newspaper’s standards.
Originally published by The Times on Wednesday, the Arkansas Republican’s op-ed, titled “Send in the Troops,” advocated in support of President Trump invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807 in order to deploy the U.S. military to cities where riots have erupted amid the nationwide unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd last month.
A spokesperson for The Times addressed Mr. Cotton’s op-ed in an evening statement issued after its publication this week prompted an outcry among reporters at the paper.
“We’ve examined the piece and the process leading up to its publication,” Times spokesman Eileen Murphy said in a statement put out by the paper. “This review made clear that a rushed editorial process led to the publication of an Op-Ed that did not meet our standards. As a result, we’re planning to examine both short-term and long-term changes, to include expanding our fact-checking operation and reducing the number of Op-Eds we publish.”
The Times also reported Thursday night that James Bennet, the editor of its opinion section, told colleagues that he did not read Mr. Cotton’s op-ed prior to its publication.
Mr. Cotton, an Army veteran, authored the op-ed advocating for invoking the Insurrection Act after Mr. Trump threatened as much on Monday to quell violence in cities where riots have occurred in the days since Floyd’s death.
“These rioters, if not subdued, not only will destroy the livelihoods of law-abiding citizens but will also take more innocent lives,” Mr. Cotton wrote in the op-ed.
Several reporters for The Times subsequently complained publicly about the op-ed, and a lawyer representing them issued a statement condemning its publication shortly afterward.
“His message undermines the journalistic work of our members, puts our Black staff members in danger, promotes hate and is likely to encourage further violence,” the NewsGuild of New York said in a statement Wednesday.
Addressing the uproar his op-ed caused Thursday morning, Mr. Cotton said he commended The Times for publishing it despite obvious disagreements from within its own newsroom.
He had less pleasant words for the paper while responding to the spokeswoman’s statement later that evening.
“My op-ed doesn’t meet The New York Times standards; it far exceeds their standards, which are normally full of left-wing, sophomoric drivel,” Mr. Cotton said on Fox News.
“In the face of the woke mob, of woke kids that are in their newsroom, they tucked tail and then ran,” he added.
Floyd, 46, was killed May 25 while in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department. Four officers involved in his death have since been fired from the force and face related charges.
Authorities have arrested 51 people nationwide on federal rioting charges since Floyd’s death, Attorney General William P. Barr said Thursday.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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