In what Fox News calls an "open revolt," New York Times staffers pushed back on their employer after the paper published a Wednesday op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton titled "Send In the Troops." In his piece, the Arkansas senator argues for using the US military to handle what he calls the "orgy of violence" surrounding the protests over George Floyd's death. "One thing above all else will restore order to our streets: an overwhelming show of force to disperse, detain, and ultimately deter lawbreakers," Cotton writes, adding: "The nation must restore order. The military stands ready." His take didn't go over well, especially among Times staffers and contributors themselves, several of whom posted screenshots of the op-ed, along with the words "Running this puts Black @NYTimes staff in danger," per CNN Business. Here, a roundup of some of the reactions on Cotton's piece, as reported by Fox, Forbes, CNN, and the Times:
- James Bennet, Times editorial page editor: "Times Opinion owes it to our readers to show them counter-arguments, particularly those made by people in a position to set policy," Bennet wrote in a Twitter thread explaining the paper's decision to run the op-ed. "We understand that many readers find Senator Cotton's argument painful, even dangerous. We believe that is one reason it requires public scrutiny and debate."