Latest news with #Islamophobe
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Zohran Mamdani's digs at Hakeem Jeffries resurface as House Dem leader weighs backing socialist NYC mayoral candidate
Socialist New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani once implied House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was an Islamophobe and likened the highest-ranking black House lawmaker in US history to notorious segregationist George Wallace. The past digs resurfaced as Jeffries continues to drag his feet on an endorsement after meeting with Mamdani last week for the first time since the Queens state lawmaker locked down the Democratic mayoral nod. The two are expected to have another confab when Mamdani returns from his Uganda vacation at the end of the month. The pro-Palestinian pol has been part of a cadre of lefty firebrands that has long bashed Jeffries over his remarks in steadfast support of Israel from a 2014 rally, comparing it to Wallace's infamous 1963 call for 'segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.' 'After at least 2,251 Palestinians were killed over the course of July 2014, Hakeem Jeffries got on stage at a rally in NYC and paraphrased George Wallace. 'Israel today, Israel tomorrow, Israel forever,'' Mamdani fumed in a November 2022 X post. 5 Zohran Mamdani has been working to court top Democratic leaders who have been skittish about throwing their weight behind him. X/zohrankmamdani Jeffries, a Brooklyn-based Democrat, has been a staunch backer of Israel, though since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, he has tried to highlight concerns about the treatment of the Palestinians as well. 5 Hakeem Jeffries has long been a public supporter of Israel, something that has peeved his left flank. Getty Images Mamdani, meanwhile, has been a ferocious critic of the Jewish state — a term he rejects. Several months after comparing Jeffries to Wallace, Mamdani appeared to accuse the party boss of Islamophobia, while opining on a 2000 debate in which the Brooklyn Dem noted the religious differences he had with his rival for a seat in the New York State Assembly. 'Yes, my opponent is older; I'm younger. It's not religion. Yes, the assemblyman is a practicing Muslim, and I grew up in the Cornerstone Baptist Church,' Jeffries said in the 2000 debate before his then-foe Roger Green stormed off. Mamdani, a practicing Muslim and assembly member from Queens, strongly insinuated Jeffries had been Islamophobic with those remarks. '[Islamophobia] has become less explicit. … You might not hear the word 'Muslim.' You might not hear the word Islam. But you will hear about extremism or ties to specific groups or attempts at making associations that will block any consideration of a candidacy in a voter's mind,' Mamdani reflected to Politico in 2023. Later that same year — just over two months after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel — Mamdani publicly roasted Jeffries for not backing a ceasefire, in a clip he proudly shared on social media. 'Congressman Jeffries has yet to call for a ceasefire. Congressman Jeffries has said that he seriously supports President Biden's request for an additional $14 billion in military funding for Israel,' Mamdani chided. 'And I must ask Congressman Jeffries how many more Palestinians must be killed before you call for a ceasefire? How many more?' he added to cheers. 5 Hakeem Jeffries has made clear he'd rather focus on attacking President Trump than intraparty battles. Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock Mamdani has long fixated on the Israel-Hamas war. In October 2023, just about a week after Hamas' surprise attack sparked the conflict, Mamdani was arrested during a protest near then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's Park Slope home. Like Jeffries, Schumer has so far refrained from endorsing Mamdani in the mayoral race. 5 Some Democrats quietly feared that Zohran Mamdani could give Republicans ammunition in the 2026 midterms. Derek French/SOPA Images/Shutterstock Since Mamdani's shock primary win in June, Jeffries has engaged in a delicate dance of not backing the young socialist, but refraining from criticizing him publicly as well. Last month, Jeffries gently called on Mamdani to clarify his defense of the phrase 'globalize the intifada' — widely seen as a call for violent uprisings against Israel — which the socialist chalked it up to a 'desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.' But as he campaigns for the November general election, Mamdani has since said he would 'discourage' the use of the phrase, and stressed that he hadn't been using it. Some progressive hardliners, emboldened by Mamdani's primary victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, have mused about targeting other so-called 'establishment' Democrats like Jeffries. Jeffries' allies, though, have warned Democratic socialists in New York City against messing with him. 'Leader Hakeem Jeffries is focused on taking back the House from the MAGA extremists who just ripped health care away from millions of Americans,' his senior adviser André Richardson told CNN earlier this month. 'However, if Team Gentrification wants a primary fight, our response will be forceful and unrelenting. We will teach them and all of their incumbents a painful lesson on June 23, 2026.' National Republican Congressional Committee Spokesman Mike Marinella said Jeffries' prospects at re-election didn't look good in light of Mamdani's past critiques of the top House Dem. 'Hakeem is too weird and too weak to even win over the Democrat nominee for his own city. How would anyone expect him to win back the House?' Marinella told The Post. 5 Hakeem Jeffries met with Zohran Mamdani last week and has plans to meet him again after the latter's return from Uganda. Getty Images 'The socialism wing has taken over the Democrat Party because this is their radical platform.' Mamdani announced on Sunday that he will be taking a break from the campaign so that he and his wife can go to Uganda, where he immigrated from when he was a child. Jeffries told reporters Monday that he'll meet with Mamdani when the candidate returns. 'We agreed to reconvene with other members of the [New York] delegation and high-level community leaders in Brooklyn upon his return to the country,' he said. The Post reached out to reps for Mamdani and Jeffries for comment.
Politico
6 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Laura Loomer on the Epstein Saga: ‘Trump is not implicated'
Happy Friday! How are we all feeling now that Love Island USA is over? Personally, I'm relieved. Feel free to send any tips, questions, thoughts: klong@ and ecordover@ Let's jump right into it. She's been called the one-woman DOGE, credited with the firings of several top administration officials. Her close allyship with President Donald Trump has given her unprecedented access to the White House and made her a prominent figure in the MAGA world, where she's known for her brazen — and often feared — demeanor. Laura Loomer says she doesn't want to be the center of the story. But despite her protestations, she is. Loomer, who founded her own media company and hosts her show 'Loomer Unleashed' on conservative streaming platform Rumble, is not one to shy away from controversy. She has referred to herself as a 'proud Islamophobe,' promoted conspiracy theories and made several racist comments toward politicians. Her attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and her Muslim faith on Twitter in 2018 led to her being banned from the site. Her account was reinstated once Elon Musk bought the site, where she now posts frequently for her 1.7 million followers. Her attacks on Attorney General Pam Bondi's handling of the so-called Epstein files made headlines as she demanded that FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino push for Bondi's resignation. Trump is standing by Bondi. On the campaign trail and during his first few months in office, Trump repeatedly promised to release the Epstein files. Once he went back on that promise, anger brewed on both sides of the aisle, most notably splintering the MAGA world. And Loomer, who insisted the files be released, leapt into the fray, warning the controversy could 'consume his presidency.' Still, Loomer says her support for Trump has not wavered. She's one of many Trump allies rushing to his defense following the release of a bombshell Wall Street Journal report, alleging the existence of a bawdy birthday letter the president wrote to Jeffrey Epstein years ago. Trump has vehemently denied writing the letter, and threatened to sue the publication. (POLITICO has not independently verified the existence of the letter.) 'The report is bullshit,' Loomer tells Women Rule. Women Rule spoke to Loomer on Thursday before the Wall Street Journal story was published and again on Friday morning. Her interviews have been edited for length and clarity. What are your thoughts on The Wall Street Journal report that was published last night? So I think that Rupert Murdoch is an absolute abomination. The report is bullshit. I'm looking forward to seeing President Trump sue the Wall Street Journal and essentially suing News Corp and Rupert Murdoch, and it's just a testament to how petty and unpleasant Rupert Murdoch is as an individual. He committed to dedicating his entire media entity of News Corp to helping Ron DeSantis try to defeat President Trump, when President Trump was being attacked by the deep state and weaponized justice in the 2024, election primary for the presidential election. [News Corp did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.] If released, what do you expect to see in the Epstein files? I understand that President Trump and Pam Bondi had a conversation, and they made that conversation public yesterday on social media, and I know that some members of Congress are aware of it as well, and it's been a discussion behind the scenes. I'm not sure what to expect. I mean, they said that there's videos, right? They said that there's like pornographic, like child pornography videos. Obviously we're not going to see those videos, but it would be great if they could release the names of the adults who participated in those child porn videos, because I feel like that information should be released to the public. Are there any particular high profile names that you expect to see in the files? No, I think that they need to be specific about what the files are going to constitute. Like, is a file just an address book, right? And I think what the concern is is that there's a lot of high profile people, politicians, business people, who maybe they met Jeffrey Epstein at an event. Maybe they never engaged in any kind of sexual activity with underage children. Maybe they never engaged in any type of activity with Jeffrey Epstein, but their names are just in the address book. I asked for full transparency and I think that they should be releasing more information about the crimes committed against children. But given how sensationalized this story has become, I don't think it's fair to every single person who just happens to know Jeffrey Epstein, even if they haven't been implicated in a crime, to have their entire reputation destroyed because their name is in his address book. Just because you flew on his airplane doesn't mean that you raped a kid. So you think that Trump's concern, and the dance they're doing now in terms of releasing the files, doesn't have to do with the fact that he could possibly be implicated in this? No, it has nothing to do with President Trump being implicated. He's obviously not implicated. President Trump is not a pedophile. President Trump is not a child sex predator. I don't speak for the president, but I could imagine that there is great concern about the blowback that a lot of innocent people who never committed a crime and never engaged in nefarious activities with minors are going to be subjected to, if they release [the files]. Because of the way that this whole thing has been so sensationalized, there's a lot of people who could potentially be branded as pedophiles and have their entire lives destroyed, and that's not fair. We live in a society where you're innocent until proven guilty, and just knowing Jeffrey Epstein shouldn't destroy somebody's life. If you engaged in improper activity with Jeffrey Epstein, then, yeah, it's another story. Trump knew Jeffrey Epstein. He kicked him out of Mar-a-Lago, as the story goes, because he was a pervert. Remember? So obviously President Trump is not implicated. So that being said, is every single person who has met Jeffrey Epstein or had a conversation with Jeffrey Epstein a pedophile? I mean that would mean that the human health secretary is a pedophile. I'm not saying that [Robert F.] Kennedy Jr.'s a pedophile, but Kennedy himself has admitted that he flew on the airplane twice with his wife. So, my point is that there's a lot of people who flew on a plane. They never touched kids. President Trump has to be really careful, because that would be considered weaponized justice, releasing innocent people's names if they are not implicated in a crime just because they were in somebody's address book. Like, there's a lot of implications, given the fact that this case has been so sensationalized. And I don't hear anyone in the media talking about that. I don't know if you agree. I'm just listening to you. So again, I don't speak for Trump, I don't speak for the administration. I want to be really clear about that, but I have heard that some of the internal strife and discussion is about the implication of releasing innocent people's names. I don't think that they're trying to hide anything about President Trump. I think that it's disgusting what the Wall Street Journal did, personally, I think that they're trying to get sued and Trump's gonna win. He has a very good record of winning these lawsuits. President Trump, in a Truth Social post [Wednesday], condemned members of the party for pushing for the release of the Epstein files. How do you respond to that? I don't think it was a condemnation. I think that President Trump is just asking members of the party to focus on other things instead of allowing for the media to consume the entire news cycle with Epstein drama. I think that we can all admit that Pam Blondi — as I call her — botched the release. But at the same time, we need to be focused on President Trump's many wins and the fact that he's doing a lot of great things. Editor's note: Bondi did not respond to a request for comment. Have you spoken with Trump recently? Do you know where you two currently stand? Yeah I speak with him often, but I am not on bad terms with him. I mean, there's no bad blood. POLITICO Special Report Mainers' Message to Trump on Susan Collins by Andrew Howard and Jessica Piper for POLITICO: 'President Donald Trump would like to see a 'better option' than Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins to represent the state. He probably can't get one. The moderate GOP senator causes frequent headaches for the White House when it comes to securing her crucial vote, which is needed to pass key elements of Trump's agenda.' Trump Threatens to Revoke US Citizenship of Longtime Critic Rosie O'Donnell by Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing for POLITICO: 'President Donald Trump on Saturday said he is considering revoking the citizenship of one of his longtime foes — actor and comedian Rosie O'Donnell — something he has no clear legal pathway to do. The move is an escalation of Trump's weaponization of American citizenship. While the president has enacted mass deportations for immigrants and looked to end birthright citizenship for the children of some immigrants, his threat to revoke the New York-born actor's citizenship marks a new frontier.' The MAGA Blowup Over Pam Bondi Has Been a Long Time Coming by Kyle Cheney, Josh Gerstein and Hailey Fuchs for POLITICO: 'Pam Bondi's political crisis over the Jeffrey Epstein saga is the latest, most acute expression of a persistent problem she has with the MAGA base. The attorney general has long tried to establish herself as one of Donald Trump's most faithful allies: She was part of his defense team during his first impeachment, she helped him challenge his 2020 election loss and she stood by his side during his New York hush money trial. But many of Trump's very online MAGA supporters have always distrusted Bondi.' Number of the Week Read more here. MUST READS Afghan Women and Girls Deported From Iran Fear 'Coming Back to a Cage' by Elian Peltier for The New York Times: 'Iran's mass deportation of more than 1.4 million Afghans this year has shattered the hopes of women and girls working and studying in Iran. Neighboring Pakistan has implemented a similar policy, putting at risk the lives of many other women who fled Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover in 2021.' The Stealth Attack on Women in Trump's Budget Bill by Casey Quinlan for The New Republic: 'Trump's megabill hits women at a time when culture-warring conservatives are more openly pushing to force more women to stay at home with their kids — and arguing that if they're going to go to school at all, they should do it for their MRS degree. The bill is the latest win for Republicans who are trying to peel away women's agency at every level by making it harder for women to have economic stability and reproductive freedom. It contains hits to reproductive care funding (though a judge has temporarily blocked this part of the law from going into effect), deep cuts to SNAP benefits and Medicaid that will affect caretakers of all ages, and measures that make it harder for kids to get free school meals.' Democratic Women's Caucus Demands Probe of Treatment of Women in ICE Detention by Rebecca Beitsch for The Hill: 'The Democratic Women's Caucus is demanding an investigation into the treatment of women in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, accusing the Trump administration of 'medical neglect' in cases that include the loss of one woman's unborn child. The Trump administration recently rescinded Biden-era guidance on treatment of migrants in detention, including those detailing guidelines for pregnant women.' QUOTE OF THE WEEK Read more here. on the move Karina Lynch was promoted to the chair of DLA Piper's Government Affairs and Public Policy Practice. She was recently tapped to be an outside ethics attorney for the Trump Organization and is a Grassley and Collins alum. Maggie Angel is joining the Illinois governor's office in D.C. as director of federal affairs. She previously was a legislative assistant for Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). (h/t POLITICO Influence) Emily Trentacope is joining the American Cleaning Institute as vice president of sustainability. She was most recently associate national program director for EPA's Safe and Sustainable Water Resources research program. (h/t POLITICO Influence)
Al Jazeera
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Protesters demand Malaysia reject US ambassadorial nominee Nick Adams
Protesters demand Malaysia reject US ambassadorial nominee Nick Adams NewsFeed Protesters in Kuala Lumpur demanded that Malaysia reject US ambassadorial nominee Nick Adams, a self-declared 'Alpha Male' and accused Islamophobe. Al Jazeera's Rob McBride explains why the government may have a hard time saying no. Video Duration 02 minutes 33 seconds 02:33 Video Duration 02 minutes 43 seconds 02:43 Video Duration 01 minutes 10 seconds 01:10 Video Duration 01 minutes 57 seconds 01:57 Video Duration 00 minutes 31 seconds 00:31 Video Duration 01 minutes 05 seconds 01:05 Video Duration 01 minutes 33 seconds 01:33
Politico
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Trump-whisperer Laura Loomer sharpens her knives for Pam Bondi
'Pam Blondi is very damaging to President Trump's image. She drags the administration down and the base doesn't want her as AG,' Loomer wrote in a post on X. 'She is harming Trump's administration and she's embarrassing all of his staff and advisors by creating a PR crisis for them. It's incredibly unfair to President Trump and his team.' The White House, Department of Justice and FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Trump administration announced Monday night that a DOJ and FBI review found no evidence that Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 in a New York jail cell, kept an incriminating 'client list' long sought after by conspiracy theorists. Loomer's pressure campaign is the latest development in an episode of Republican infighting about the investigation, with MAGA supporters fuming at Bondi's Justice Department for not releasing more information about its findings. Loomer, who has sought an official role in the administration, has long had the president's ear, repeatedly targeting those whom she views as disloyal to the president. In April, Loomer took credit for Trump's firing of several National Security Council officials and criticized Trump's pick to be the Pentagon's top lawyer, accusing him of seeking to undermine Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. She has met with senior administration officials — including Vice President JD Vance — and continues to have sway over the president's online base. Even so, Trump has at times attempted to distance himself from Loomer, who has a history of promoting far-right conspiracy theories and has described herself as a 'proud Islamophobe,' with some Republicans warning that Trump's ties to the far-right activist could cost him votes in the 2024 election. In a Friday morning social media post, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote that he worked closely with Patel and Bongino on the memo and that all three officials signed off on the memo's contents and conclusions. 'The suggestion by anyone that there was any daylight between the FBI and DOJ leadership on this memo's composition and release is patently false,' Blanche wrote.
Mint
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Who is Laura Loomer? Donald Trump's ‘ally' who would love to find ‘excuse to block' foreign students
After saying "Joe Biden could die in the next two months", Laura Loomer is grabbing the headlines once again as she wrote about her "dream job " of "vetting social media accounts of foreign students". As US President Donald Trump's administration moved to block enrollment of foreign students at Harvard University, reports suggested that it is now expanding social media vetting of foreign students. 'The Trump administration is weighing requiring all foreign students applying to study in the United States to undergo social media vetting,' Politico reported earlier. Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said, "...we use every tool in our tool chest to vet anyone coming in who wants to come into this country..." Amid such claims, Laura Loomer said that 'vetting on the social media accounts of foreign like a dream job for me.' She wrote on X, 'The White House is considering doing vetting on the social media accounts of foreign students. Sounds like a dream job for me. I would love to research foreign students all day and find an excuse to block them from coming into our country based on their radicalism. Sign me up.' Laura Loomer is a right-wing extremist and political influencer known for her controversial views and "incendiary" social media presence. Loomer, in her early 30s, is a Florida activist and unsuccesfull political candidate who once described herself as a 'proud Islamophobe'. The Guardian described her as "the white nationalist conspiracy theorist." As per the report, Loomer had spread conspiracy theories about mass shootings, including the Parkland school shooting in Florida. She is known for claiming the 9/11 attacks were an inside job. Loomer was also banned on some social media networks because of anti-Muslim and other remarks. According to reports, she has dubbed herself a 'proud Islamophobe". Earlier, she had said the 'White House would smell like curry' if Kamala Harris, who is of Indian heritage, were elected as the US President. Loomer sparred online with top Trump adviser Elon Musk over skilled workforce visas, the Associated Press reported. She has repeatedly argued that the administration's hires are being improperly vetted. Loomer also has a podcast called Loomer Unleashed on Rumble. It's a platform known for streaming far-right figures. Loomer has said it's her job to keep Trump on track. She has flitted in and out of the president's inner circle and claimed to be responsible for the firings of National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and other aides, the Associated Press reported. She twice unsuccessfully ran for Congress, in 2020 and 2022. Trump had endorsed Loomer in 2020, when she had unsuccessfully ran for the House in 2020, winning a Republican primary but losing the general election that year to Democrat Lois Frankel. Later, in 2022, she switched districts, narrowly losing another primary. In 2023, Trump praised Loomer, saying, 'You are a very opinionated lady, I have to tell you. And in my opinion, I like that.' Trump once also called her a 'strong person' and a 'free spirit.
