NEW YORK (NewsNation) — Nearly 1 in 5 Americans aged 18-29 has a “positive view” of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, according to a new poll.
Bin Laden, the former al-Qaeda leader, claimed responsibility for the Sep. 11, 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
Additionally, the Daily Mail poll found 3 in 10 Gen Z members believe his anti-American, antisemitic views and killing of innocent people was a “force for good.” Overall, 81% of American voters express negative views of bin Laden, with just under 1 in 10 viewing him positively.
It’s believed the troubling positive views of bin Laden stem from a letter written by bin Laden 20 years ago and was posted on TikTok last month.
The piece, titled “Letter to America,” was written a year after the 9/11 attacks, garnered sympathy from many younger TikTok users. However, the overwhelming collective outrage prompted TikTok to reverse course and remove the letter.
James Johnson, founder of J.L. Partners, the company that surveyed 1,000 Americans, expressed disgust with the results.
“Family members of families of the victims spoke to the day amount about this poll, and they talked about their anger and frustration and disgust at this viewpoint,” said James Johnson. “All I can say is I sympathize entirely with them, and I completely share their disgust.”
Despite the removal of the letter, TikTok remains a leading social media app globally. The Daily Mail highlights a Pew Research poll indicating TikTok’s growing influence in the news business. The November survey shows the number of Americans obtaining news from TikTok has risen from 3% in 2020 to 14% in 2023.
