Podcaster Joe Rogan criticized CNN on Wednesday after the network deleted a social media post describing two suspects who allegedly threw explosive devices into a protest crowd outside the Manhattan residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The controversy began after CNN published a post Tuesday on X discussing the arrest of two Pennsylvania teenagers connected to the incident.
According to police, 18-year-old Emir Balat of Langhorne and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi of Newtown traveled from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to Manhattan on Saturday. Authorities said the pair ignited and threw explosive devices into a protest crowd outside Mamdani’s residence.
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CNN’s original post described the events leading up to the arrests in language that drew criticism from commentators and social media users.
The post read: “Two Pennsylvania teenagers crossed into New York City Saturday morning for what could’ve been a normal day enjoying the city during abnormally warm weather,” the post read. “But in less than an hour, their lives would drastically change as the pair would be arrested for throwing homemade bombs during an anti-Muslim protest outside of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home. Here’s what we know so far.”
The post was later deleted by CNN, but Rogan said he had captured a screenshot before it was removed.
Rogan discussed the tweet during a podcast episode, describing the wording used in the post as inappropriate given the nature of the alleged crime.
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“You see their headline, you’re like, ‘What? What kind of story are you painting here?’ Like this is such a crazy way to frame a guy showed up with bombs and was hurling them at people,” Rogan said.
He argued the language in the post made the situation appear less serious than the allegations described by police.
“It sounded like it was just a regular day. Just regular day for this fella. And then things just went a little sideways somewhere along the way,” Rogan said.
Rogan also mocked the tone he believed the post suggested.
“It sounded like it was just regular fellas from PA! From Philly! Two Philly boys had a couple of cheesesteaks and then got on the train,” he said.
He also questioned why the post referenced weather conditions.
“Why the f**k would you even say that? Could have been a normal day if they weren’t going there to commit terrorism,” Rogan said.
During the discussion, Rogan referenced the now-deleted tweet and said he was glad he had saved it before it was removed.
“The internet never forgets,” Rogan said.
Two guests joined Rogan for the conversation: podcaster Francis Foster and commentator Konstantin Kisin.
Foster compared the framing of the post to writing exercises sometimes used by students.
He said it reminded him of how stories often begin in creative writing classes with the phrase “It was like a normal day.”
Rogan said he was curious about the person responsible for writing the original post and questioned whether the language had been intended to minimize the seriousness of the incident.
“Are you trying to soften that?” Rogan said.
“It seems like you’re trying to soften it.”
Kisin argued that coverage from multiple outlets may have created confusion about the events surrounding the protest outside Mamdani’s residence.
“No one officially said that’s what happened. But the way they did the story and the headline, you would have got that impression,” Kisin said.
Kisin suggested that the framing of the incident could lead readers to misunderstand who was responsible for the violence and who had been targeted.
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He said the approach could reflect broader political motivations in how stories are presented.
Later in the discussion, Rogan read CNN’s follow-up message posted after the original tweet was removed. The network acknowledged the wording of the initial post did not meet its editorial standards.
“A post regarding the two individuals arrested for throwing homemade bombs outside of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home failed to reflect the gravity of the incident thereby breaching the editorial standards we require for all our reporting. It has therefore been deleted.”
After hearing the apology statement, Kisin responded by criticizing the explanation provided by the network.
“But see how skillful this is, Joe. This is gaslighting again,” Kisin said.
Kisin also referenced a message he posted on X responding to the original tweet.
“It didn’t fail to reflect the gravity of the situation. It failed to accurately communicate who was responsible, who the intended victims were and where the blame for the attempted terrorist attack lay,” Kisin wrote.
“In other words you didn’t accidentally downplay the seriousness of it, you deliberately misrepresented what happened to conceal the truth from the public.”
It didn’t fail to reflect the gravity of the situation. It failed to accurately communicate who was responsible, who the intended victims were and where the blame for the attempted terrorist attack lay. In other words you didn’t accidentally downplay the seriousness of it, you…
— Konstantin Kisin (@KonstantinKisin) March 10, 2026
The exchange occurred as the arrests of Balat and Kayumi continued to draw attention online following the alleged attack outside the mayor’s Manhattan residence.
The suspects traveled from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to New York City before the incident, according to police statements cited in reports about the arrests.
CNN removed the original post from its social media account after criticism and issued the statement acknowledging the wording did not meet its editorial standards.
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