Latest news with #DemocraticSocialism
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
AOC takes victory lap as Trump-Elon nuclear breakup confirms everything she and Bernie Sanders warned
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York told The Independent that President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's feud confirmed what she and Sen. Bernie Sanders have warned about ultra-wealthy Americans. 'I mean, it was a long time coming,' said the progressive firebrand, who is better known to many Americans simply by her initials, AOC. The self-described democratic socialist congresswoman has spent much of the last few months traveling with Sanders, an independent socialist from Vermont by way of Brooklyn. The two have spent much of the first few months of Trump's second presidency traveling the country as part of their 'Fighting Oligarchy Tour.' 'I don't think that the whole state of the country should be with two should be concentrated in two guys with massive egos that are fighting with each other,' she said. On Thursday, Musk, who enthusiastically endorsed Trump and bankrolled his campaign in 2024, went ballistic on the president, ultimately saying that Trump was ' in the Epstein files,' which explained why they had not been released. Musk then ramped up the rhetoric even more by supporting his impeachment. This came after Musk credited himself with Trump's victory. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,' Musk posted on X. 'Such ingratitude.' The feud kicked off in earnest on Tuesday, when Musk called the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill,' which the House of Representatives passed last month, an ' outrageous, pork-filled, disgusting abomination.' Musk's words caused a headache for Republicans in the Senate, who hope to pass their own version of the legislation, which seeks to extend the tax cuts Trump signed in his first presidency, would ramp up spending on the US-Mexico border for immigration enforcement and slash spending for social services. Other Democrats like Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware called the feud the 'big, beautiful breakup.' The fight between the world's richest man and the most powerful leader in the world flooded the internet with memes. The intra-personal feud between the two is a sharp turn from when the Tesla CEO and X owner billed himself as the 'First Buddy' who led the Department of Government Efficiency and regularly made the trek across Pennsylvania Avenue to meet with lawmakers whenever they feared services their constituents used would be subjected to his ' Chainsaw of Bureaucracy.' In recent months, Ocasio-Cortez has become a major player in the House Democratic caucus. Despite losing her bid to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, she joined the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, which not only handles energy policies like health care. One recent poll showed Ocasio-Cortez to be more popular than either the president or Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee for president. Others have suggested that she either stage a primary challenge or succeed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani refuses to officially condemn Holocaust, support Israel
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani refused to sign onto a pair of resolutions recognizing Israel and the Holocaust — with critics ripping the mayoral hopeful as having 'no business representing the largest Jewish community outside of Israel.' Mamdani, 33, a state Assembly member from Queens, skipped out on one resolution earlier this week that celebrated the Jewish state on its 77th anniversary — instead getting an endorsement in the mayoral race from anti-Israel former Rep. Jamaal Bowman in The Bronx. On Jan. 27, Mamdani declined to sign onto another resolution that denounced the Holocaust. His campaign spokesperson told The Post Friday he backed it with a 'voice vote' — but didn't explain why he didn't back it on paper. Mamdani's apparent snub of the resolutions sparked outrage as the Democratic Socialists of America candidate seeks to lead New York City, which counts the largest Jewish population outside of Israel. 'Why would anybody be surprised? He is undoubtedly the most anti-Israel person in the Assembly,' Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) told The Post. 'I think there are unfortunately a few members of the legislature who don't believe that Israel has a right to exist and I believe he's one of them.' Four other fellow socialist Dems joined Mamdani in not signing onto Wednesday's pro-Israel resolution, including Assemblymembers Emily Gallagher (D-Brooklyn), Claire Valdez (D-Queens), Marcela Mitaynes (D-Brooklyn) and Sarahana Shrestha (D-Ulster). That resolution, No. 509, called for 'congratulation the State of Israel on the 77th Anniversary of its establishment and reaffirming the bonds of friendship, cooperation, and shared values between the people of the State of New York and Israel.' It also designated 2025 as the '77th Anniversary of the establishment of the modern State of Israel in the ancestral home of the Jewish people.' But Mamdani was at an event in Co-op City touting the backing Bowman, a former Westchester and Bronx congressman who lost his seat over his pro-Palestinian views two years ago. Meanwhile, Resolution No. 45, memorialized 'Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim January 27, 2025, as Holocaust Remembrance Day in the State of New York.' A spokesperson for Mamdani told Politico, which was first to report the resolution issue, that 'he had to narrow down the capacity' as a legislator as he runs for mayor. 'He's a very careful legislator,' campaign spokesperson Andrew Epstein said, 'so he has not put his name on any resolutions' this session. Assemblyman Sam Berger (D-Queens) blasted that excuse. 'I'm sorry, but if condemning the genocide of the Jewish people isn't within your capacity, you have no business representing the largest Jewish community outside of Israel,' Berger said. The pro-Palestinian lawmaker from Astoria, Queens, has for years railed against Israel and repeatedly called for a ceasefire in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. He was cuffed by cops last October during a raucous rally outside Sen. Chuck Schumer's Brooklyn home during what was dubbed a 'day of Jihad' throughout the city. He also introduced the controversial 'Not On Our Dime Act' that would bar New York non-profits from bankrolling any groups involved with West Bank settlements. His father, Mahmood, went even further, and called for the end of the Jewish state. In a 2014 speech at Columbia, Mahmood claimed: 'The Palestinian challenge is to persuade the Jewish population and the world … the longtime security of a Jewish homeland in historic Palestine requires the dismantling of the Jewish state … Jews can have a homeland in historic Palestine, but not a state.' Thousands of resolutions are introduced each year and are almost always non-controversial signs of respect to groups or countries. Earlier this month, for example, the Assembly honored the legislature's annual Fort Drum Day when members of Army's 10th Mountain Division visited the capitol. Mamdani has signed onto 88 similar pieces of nonbinding legislation over his tenure. 'Neither Mamdani nor Gallagher are friends of the people of Israel no matter whether they are –Jews, Muslims, Christian, Druze, Armenian, black, brown, or white or any other component of the mosaic of Israel,' Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Nassau), president of the New York Chapter of the National Association of Jewish Legislators, said. Assemblyman Ari Brown (R-Nassau) called Mamdani 'not just unfit — he's dangerous.' 'You don't get to run New York City when you spend your time running cover for terrorists,' Brown said. Courting the Jewish vote is proving to be a key issue in the Democratic primary and general election as front-runner Andrew Cuomo and incumbent Eric Adams both try to win the support of the bloc. State lawmakers during each legislative session vote on similar resolutions celebrating the founding of Israel and commemorating the Holocaust. Lawmakers described the pair of resolutions as typically drama-free and said they were generally widely supported. Mamdani hasn't formally signed on to the Holocaust remembrance resolution since 2022, though Epstein said he was supportive when it came up for a 'voice vote' in the chamber. 'My campaign has also proposed the largest fiscal commitment to combatting antisemitism of any candidate in the race. As the next Mayor, I will protect the safety of Jewish New Yorkers,' Mamdani said in a statement via Epstein.
