Conservative Podcaster Benny Johnson Criticizes nytimes for Downplaying Arson Incident Threat to Family

Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson has openly criticized The New York Times, accusing the publication of downplaying the dangers his family faced during an arson incident in 2020. Johnson claims this portrayal has caused significant emotional distress to his family and is considering legal action against the newspaper. He alleges that the Times misrepresented the severity of the fire event that occurred at his residence in Washington, D.C., where his wife and newborn were caught in a perilous situation. The incident involved an adjacent rowhouse being intentionally set ablaze, resulting in black smoke filling Johnson's home and necessitating an urgent evacuation by the family.

Security footage from the scene shows police officers attempting to open Johnson's front door, while his wife was seen fleeing the property with their infant as smoke engulfed the house. Johnson elaborated that the rowhouse design meant shared walls with the burning house, creating a direct threat to his family. He accused the reporter from The New York Times of exhibiting a "real lack of humanity" by disregarding the severity of the ordeal his family experienced amid the fire. Despite providing the newspaper with video evidence that he believes clearly shows the magnitude of the danger, Johnson insists the coverage sought to undermine the reality of the incident and discredit him.

The New York Times published an article that painted Johnson as a divisive figure, engaged in spreading falsehoods, and emphasized his visibility in conservative circles. The paper disputed his assertions about the fire, citing police records which indicate that no murders have occurred on Johnson's block since 2017 and that his house itself was not burned, but rather the nearby property. The article also highlighted Johnson's checkered past in journalism, referencing earlier incidents involving plagiarism while at several media outlets, which resulted in disciplinary actions, including suspension and demotion.

Johnson maintains that his family's lives were endangered during the fire, contrary to the portrayal in the Times article, and argues that excluding the shared wall detail amounted to an attempt to skew the narrative against him. He says that these omissions in the report downplay the threat they faced. Furthermore, Johnson criticized The New York Times for allegedly utilizing police and fire reports in a way that supported an agenda against him rather than addressing factual accuracy.

In response to the article, Johnson uploaded footage showing the evacuation from his home during the fire, underscoring the critical nature of the situation with scenes of his wife urgently departing the smoky premises. He also highlighted that the fire caused sufficient damage to leave his home uninhabitable, forcing his family to stay in a hotel for months afterward. Although Johnson acknowledges past errors in his career, he argues that the current coverage by The New York Times is unjust and harmful, implying that his family has become collateral damage in a broader political narrative.

Despite the backlash from the article, Johnson's prominence as a conservative voice remains evident, highlighted by his participation in White House press briefings and his substantial following across social media platforms. He continues to view the publication's critique as a product of bias and sees the extensive attention as an affirmation of his influence within conservative media circles. Johnson questions the motives underpinning the Times' editorial decisions and reiterates his intention to potentially pursue legal remedies to address what he perceives as defamation and misinformation leveled against him and his family.