Reporter Slams Jake Tapper and Dana Bash for ‘False’ Charge of Anti-Semitism Against Rashida Tlaib: ‘You’re Spreading Lies’

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File

The reporter who interviewed Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) called out members of the media for the way they characterized her comments from a recent article he wrote.

During the interview with Detroit Metro Times reporter Steve Neavling , Tlaib criticized Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel for filing charges against pro-Palestinian protestors at the University of Michigan. The representative claimed the charges set a “dangerous precedent” and claimed Nessel’s agency may have “possible biases” considering the fact that she hadn’t charged demonstrators for other causes.

The comment has been criticized by some, including CNN’s Jake Tapper and the Anti-Defamation League, as anti-Semitic. Tapper has also repeatedly claimed that Tlaib accused Nessel of being biased because Nessel is Jewish, but Tlaib did not mention the attorney general’s religious beliefs anywhere in the full quote.

On Monday, Neavling took to social media to call out Tlaib’s critics for “spreading lies” about his story.

“Fact-check: Tlaib did not say Nessel charged pro-Palestinian protesters because she’s Jewish,” he said in a tweet.

“The false claims from state Sen. @JeremyAllenMoss, Attorney General @dananessel, @CNN, @J_Insider, and the ADL’s @JGreenblattADL were based on an interview I did with U.S. Rep. @RashidaTlaib. I know what was said during the interview, and it was not what was characterized.”

Later that day, Tapper posted a statement from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer condemning the narrative that Nessel would “make charging decisions based on her religion as opposed to the rule of law.” Under that tweet, Neavling addressed Tapper directly with a link to his article fact-checking the media’s response to it.

“I’m the reporter who interviewed Rashida Tlaib,” he said. “She never said Nessel did this because she’s Jewish. Never. You’re spreading lies.”

Later in the day, Neavling slammed CNN’s Dana Bash for her analysis of the situation.

“Now Dana Bash from CNN is lying about what happened,” he tweeted. “U.S. Rep. @RashidaTlaib did not say Nessel filed the charges because she’s Jewish. She said there is an anti-Palestinian attitude among many institutions, and most of them are not run by Jewish people.”

Update 9:20 p.m.: On Monday, Tapper clarified on CNN during an interview with Nessel that he “misspoke” when he characterized Tlaib’s comments as anti-Semitic. He asked Nessel to comment on the criticism she’s facing for claiming Tlaib’s comments were bigoted.

“I should note that I misspoke yesterday when asking a follow up of Governor Whitmer who I asked about this. I was trying to characterize your views of Tlaib’s comments,” Tapper said, before asking: “What do you make of those today noting that Congresswoman Tlaib never explicitly said your bias was because of your religion and so it’s unfair for you to make that allegation?”