Overview

• Semafor reported that the Times accelerated its story on Mamdani’s Columbia application to avoid being scooped by activist Christopher Rufo
• Christopher Rufo publicly praised the paper’s speed with a tweet congratulating its reporters for breaking the Mamdani story first
• The Times revised its article to identify “Crémieux” as Jordan Lasker, a figure known for white supremacist and eugenicist views
• Assistant managing editor Patrick Healy defended the publication, stating that the information was confirmed with Mamdani and met the outlet’s newsworthiness criteria
• Critics and media commentators have intensified debates over journalistic ethics, source credibility and the framing of racial identity as Mamdani’s mayoral campaign advances