New York Times opinion editor resigns after column controversy as Trump slams paper

USA - NEW YORK. A New York Times editorial page editor responsible for publishing a column that advocated using the military to quiet protests over U.S. racial inequality resigned from his position on Sunday, the newspaper announced.

U.S. President Donald Trump slammed the newspaper in a Tweet after the announcement, saying that "The New York Times is Fake News!!!"

The New York Times has come under fire after it published an editorial on June 3 from U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, titled "Send in the Troops." Cotton wrote that an "overwhelming show of force" would restore order after protests spread across the country, some of which turned violent.

Read Also: Most Americans sympathize with protests, disapprove of Trump's response: Reuters

The protests for racial justice first erupted 13 days ago after video footage emerged showing George Floyd, a 46-year old unarmed black man in handcuffs, lying face down on a Minneapolis street on May 25 as a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

"It's past time to support local law enforcement with federal authority," Cotton wrote.

Cotton re-tweeted Trump's Tweet calling the paper "Fake News."

Read Also: Trump says terminating US relationship with World Health Organization over virus

The editor, James Bennet, will be replaced by Katie Kingsbury. Bennet had been the Editorial Page Editor since 2016. He had helped expand the range of voices the paper published and explore new formats, according to a note publisher A.G. Sulzberger sent to staff.

Cotton and Bennet could not be immediately reached for comment.