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A CBS News reporter is facing a wave of backlash today about a report he filed on Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz’s revelation that he has a Cuban son.

The reporter, Aaron Navarro, wrote a piece that curiously included quotation marks around the word son in the headline:

After heated exchange on race, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz reveals Cuban "son" https://t.co/AweNtQSwRv

— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 19, 2020

The same headline was also shown in the piece when you clicked the link:

It's even in the headline. pic.twitter.com/KQLplNClrL

— Sister Toldjah 😁 (@sistertoldjah) June 19, 2020

In the article itself, here’s the way Navarro described 19-year-old Nestor Galban (bolded emphasis added):

Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz revealed he has been raising an immigrant child from Cuba for more than six years on Thursday.

In a tweet featuring a picture of him and Nestor Galban, whom he calls his son, Gaetz said, “We share no blood but he is my life. He came from Cuba (legally, of course) six years ago and lives with me in Florida. I am so proud of him and raising him has been the best, most rewarding thing I’ve done in my life,” he said.

It would seem that Navarro is trying to cast doubt on the truthfulness of Gaetz’s revelation, even though others have stepped up to confirm he’s telling the truth.

Numerous Twitter users questioned Navarro’s use of quotation marks in the headline:

Why is "son" in quotes, @CBSNews? Are you suggesting that that simple fact is in doubt?

— Michael Haugen (@HaugenATX) June 19, 2020

Why is "son" in quotes?

— The Partyman (@PartymanRandy) June 19, 2020

Fantastic "reporting" from CBS "News".

— Brewer "Tired of Y'all" Crain 🗽🦔 (@BrewerCrain) June 19, 2020

Imagine if a Republican put “son” in quotations for a Democrat. There would be protests in the street (well, more protests).

— Jake (@frostedjakess) June 19, 2020

Gaetz first revealed to the public that Galban was his son after a heated exchange with Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) that happened Wednesday while the two were discussing the House Judiciary Committee’s markup of the Justice in Policing Act:

“I already know that there are people on the other side that have black grandchildren. It is not about the color of your kids. It is about black males, black people in the streets that are getting killed,” Richmond said as Gaetz attempted to interject. “And if one of them happens to be your kid I’m concerned about him too, and clearly I’m more concerned about him than you are.”

“Excuse me,” Gaetz shot back. “You’re claiming you’re more concerned for my family than I do. Who in the hell do you think you are?”

[…]

“Was that a nerve?” Richmond asked at one point.

“Yeah, you’re d–n right it was a nerve,” Gaetz answered.

Here’s what Gaetz posted the next day:

Nestor turned 19 a few days ago & will be off to University. He arrived here at 12.

As you can imagine, I was triggered when (to make an absurd debate point) a fellow congressman diminished the contributions of Republicans because we don’t raise non-white kids.

Well, I have.

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) June 18, 2020

Left-wing Twitter users and Never Trumpers alike, including unhinged fake Republican Cheri Jacobus, immediately rushed to declare Gaetz was lying. In fact, Jacobus’s entire Twitter feed as of this writing shows her furiously cooking up bizarre conspiracy theories to try and prove Gaetz is pulling a con.

Other people who know Gaetz, including former Democratic Rep. Katie Hill (D-CA), have stepped up to defend him and to confirm his story is true:

We met both Nestor & his sister, May, a few years ago during a @FSUFootball game. The family has a remarkable story. I said then that @MattGaetz deserved for the world to know how he stepped up but he didnt want that. The attacks on Matt & Nestor are the very worst of politics. https://t.co/1uVhsCOwod

— Peter Schorsch (@PeterSchorschFL) June 18, 2020

I am seeing so many hateful comments about Matt Gaetz & Nestor. When that kid lost his mom, Matt was dating his sister and he stepped up. Plain and simple. He has been an outstanding role model & mentor for Nestor and anyone that served with Matt knows this great kid 🇨🇺🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/lD96jI54nQ

— Jose Felix Diaz (@josefelixdiaz) June 18, 2020

Many of you know @mattgaetz & I have an unlikely friendship. I can’t stand a lot of his beliefs but he’s been there for me when others haven’t. He talks about Nestor more than anything, has done so much for his son & is truly a proud dad. This #freenestor thing is bullshit. Stop. https://t.co/qqOx9opXzH

— Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) June 18, 2020

Also he was never “hiding” his son. He was trying to protect him from the crap that comes from being a politician’s kid, esp after what Nestor had been through, esp in this political climate. Now that Nestor is grown he’s made his own choice to enter the spotlight. Good for them.

— Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) June 18, 2020

(If you're wondering why Matt Gaetz hasn't talked much about his adopted Cuban son, what's happening on Twitter right now should give you an idea! You don't have to share any of his views or his trollish approach to politics to understand this is not OK.)

— (((Yair Rosenberg))) (@Yair_Rosenberg) June 18, 2020

Gaetz and Galban both appeared on Tucker Carlson’s program last night to talk about their father/son relationship:

"It's certainly offensive to have someone tell you that you don't know what a certain experience is like when they know nothing about you.

Nestor is the light of my life."@MattGaetz and his adopted son Nestor join @TuckerCarlson after clash with @RepRichmond. pic.twitter.com/9dd1iiJk5z

— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 19, 2020

The CBS News tweet is still up as of this writing, and neither they nor Navarro are responding to inquiries about the use of quotation marks and how Navarro described Galban in the story he wrote. Stay tuned.