The Washington Examiner announced this week that media reporter Eddie Scarry would move internally off the news desk and into commentary. The move comes just days after Scarry faced widespread criticism for a tweet mocking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“Eddie Scarry is joining commentary after more than three years writing on the media for news,” said Hugo Gurdon, Editorial Director for Washington Examiner in a statement to TheWrap. “He will move over to the commentary desk and his writing — blog posts and columns — will appear in Beltway Confidential. He will report to Commentary Editor Tim Carney.”
The move was announced on Monday by Gurdon along with other staffing updates in an email obtained by TheWrap. A rep for the Examiner said Thursday that the plan to move Scarry had been in the works before his now infamous tweet.
On November 15, Scarry faced a flood of criticism after posting a surreptitious photo of Ocasio-Cortez, which he said was sent to him by a “Hill staffer,” and suggested that her style indicated she had more money than she let on.
“Hill staffer sent me this pic of Ocasio-Cortez they took just now. I’ll tell you something: that jacket and coat don’t look like a girl who struggles,” he wrote.
A broad and bipartisan storm ensured, with just about everyone racing to weigh in on what aspect of the tweet upset them. Ocasio-Cortez herself chimed in after Scarry ultimately deleted the tweet — and unleashed her more than 1.3 million followers on him.
“If I walked into Congress wearing a sack, they would laugh & take a picture of my backside. If I walk in with my best sale-rack clothes, they laugh & take a picture of my backside,” she said. “Oh, does @eScarry think he can delete his misogyny without an apology? I don’t think so. You’re a journalist – readers should know your bias.”
Scarry’s tweet was also received poorly within his company, leading to his Washington Examiner colleagues expressing their disapproval on Twitter.
“I’m sorry, but this is not a proud moment for the @dcexaminer — the place where I work and have fought so hard to make respectable as a breaking news editor,” said Examiner editor Daniel Chaitin at the time.
“With respect to my colleagues who are critical of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, it’s in bad form to insinuate that she’s a hypocrite to her political ideology b/c she wants to look professional. we all want to put our best foot forward,” offered commentary video editor Siraj Hashmi.
Oh, does @eScarry think he can delete his misogyny without an apology?
I don’t think so. You’re a journalist – readers should know your bias. pic.twitter.com/2KJuiPsUR2
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 16, 2018