Latest news with #StewPeters
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
LVA says controversial speaker banned from VFW and Sheraton
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A controversial speaker initially listed for the upcoming USS Liberty Veterans Association reunion in Norfolk has been banned from speaking at the event at the Sheraton, according to organizers. John Dixon, media director for the Liberty Veterans Association, also confirmed the VFW's decision to remove Peters from a separate memorial service at the USS Liberty Monument, hosted by VFW Post 4809 in Norfolk June 8. 'As of right now, Stew Peters is banned,' Dixon said. 'That's all we can say. We don't know anything — the reasoning behind it. We don't know anything.' The reunion, scheduled for June 6–9 at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel, will bring together survivors and supporters of the USS Liberty, a U.S. Navy ship attacked during the 1967 Six-Day War. Dr. Kenny T. Fountain, a professor and director of Writing & Rhetoric at the University of Virginia, said understanding the historical context is important. Criticism emerged after an online flyer circulated listing far-right media personality Stew Peters among the speakers. Peters has faced backlash for pushing antisemitic rhetoric and conspiracy theories. In a statement released last week to 10 On Your Side, the VFW emphasized it does not support extremist ideologies. Fountain said rhetoric like Peters' is not just inflammatory, but potentially harmful. 'Anti-Jewish sentiment that transcends the state of Israel gets kindled by these kinds of ideas,' he said. 'Repetition can encourage belief, whether we like it or not.' City officials say a robust security plan is in place for the weekend, which coincides with Norfolk's annual Harborfest celebration. The city of Norfolk stated that 'Norfolk Police Department will have an increased security presence throughout downtown Norfolk during the entire Harborfest weekend. NPD also receives additional assistance from federal law enforcement partners during Harborfest. While specific details cannot be provided, the Norfolk Police Department maintains a robust security plan for large scale events such as this one to ensure the safety of our public. ' WAVY 10 has reached out the Sheraton numerous times, and has yet to receive a response. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Controversial podcaster will not speak at veterans' group convention in Norfolk
Stew Peters, the controversial podcast host who had been slated to speak at an upcoming veterans reunion in Norfolk, reportedly will not appear at the event. The Liberty Veterans' Association will hold its annual reunion on the anniversary of the USS Liberty bombing from June 6-9 at the Sheraton Waterside Norfolk Hotel. Peters, whom the Anti-Defamation League has described as an anti-Semite, was named as a speaker, in an unconfirmed social media post that quickly drew attention to the event and the hotel. The LVA confirmed Peters was scheduled to speak at the event, but said the other two men aren't speaking and aren't registered to attend. WTKR reported on Tuesday that Marriott, the owner of the Sheraton Waterside Norfolk Hotel, banned Peters. WTKR's report quoted an association spokesperson as saying that Peters was banned from 'entering their property and has advised us he is not to speak.' The spokesman, veteran's association board member John Dixon, declined to comment about Peters' status to The Virginian-Pilot on Tuesday. The association's annual event is meant to honor the survivors of Israel's bombing of the USS Liberty bombing in 1967, which killed 34 sailors and injured 170 others. Israel has maintained that the attack was a mistake, but many members of the Norfolk-based Liberty Veterans' Association believe it was intentional. The LVA's leadership has attempted to distance themselves from accusations of antisemitism, saying in an email to The Pilot that they don't share all the 'views, beliefs, or behavior' of their supporters, 'but … we stand and defend all Americans constitutional rights including the first amendment.' The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4809 is hosting a memorial service at the USS Liberty Monument at their post on June 8 as part of the LVA's reunion festivities, according to the LVA's website and the official flyer for the reunion. Eric Mallett, incoming commander of Post 4809, said in a statement in response to the reported speakers that 'white supremacy and antisemitism have no place in the VFW.' Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806,
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rabbi urges reconsideration of speakers at USS Liberty reunion amid concerns
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A Virginia Beach rabbi is calling on organizers of an upcoming USS Liberty reunion to reconsider allowing controversial figures to attend, citing concerns over antisemitism. Backlash builds over USS Liberty reunion event featuring controversial speaker The reunion, hosted by the USS Liberty Veterans Association, is scheduled to take place at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel from June 6 to June 9, the same dates as Norfolk's Harborfest. The event is held to honor the 34 sailors killed and more than 170 injured when Israeli forces attacked the USS Liberty in 1967. Controversy came after a flyer began circulating online, listing far-right media figures Stew Peters, Lucas Gage and Jake Shields as speakers. All three have been accused of spreading antisemitic rhetoric. 'A flyer was created by the organizers,' said Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism. 'We simply made a graphic of the existing flyer to raise awareness of the white supremacists event occurring in the Virginia area.' Rabbi Israel Zoberman, the son of Holocaust survivors, described the situation as 'deeply saddening' and warned including people with known antisemitic views undermines the memorial's message. 'For anyone who has antisemitic views to speak at any event should alarm the entire American society…,' Zoberman told WAVY. 'That really takes away from the meaningfulness of the event dedicated to the tragic event that happened with the Liberty.' USS Liberty Veterans Association President Phil Tourney confirmed that Peters asked to speak at the event, but said it's too late to uninvite him. 'If they got a problem with any speaker, Stew Peters or otherwise, there's nothing we can do about it right now,' Tourney said. Tourney emphasized that the group does not condone hate speech and said the reunion is meant to be a peaceful gathering. 'We come in peace and harmony … to remember our dead mates, break some bread together,' he said, noting the group is now spending up to $25,000 on 24-hour police protection due to threats. WAVY has not verified this with Norfolk Police. Meanwhile, VFW Post 4809 states: 'The VFW Department of Virginia and VFW Post 4809 in Norfolk are aware that the event flyer for the USS Liberty Veterans Association reunion has been edited to imply association with white supremacists and antisemites. The VFW and Post 4809 do not in any way support those who hijacked this event for their own agenda. We support the victims and survivors of the attack, and all veterans, but white supremacy and antisemitism have no place in the VFW. The event at the Sheraton in Norfolk is a Liberty Veterans Association reunion and any questions about that event should be directed to that organization. VFW Post 4809 will host a memorial service at the USS Liberty monument located outside the post so veterans can pay their respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice serving aboard USS Liberty.' WAVY reached out to both the city of Norfolk and Marriott, which owns the Sheraton venue, for comment. The city acknowledged the request but has not provided a statement. Marriott has not responded. The USS Liberty reunion is still scheduled to take place as planned. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
FBI head Kash Patel goes ballistic after House Dem accuses him of lying about appearing on anti-semitic podcast
FBI Director Kash Patel went on the offensive after he was accused by a Democrat of lying during his Senate confirmation hearing. It came just days after MSNBC was forced to retract bizarre, unfounded allegations of Patel spending more time partying than in the office. Patel was nominated to run the bureau just 10 days into Donald Trump 's second term and faced questions during hearings about his association with podcaster Stew Peters. Peters is considered by many to be an antisemite, including the Anti-Defamation League. During his hearing, Patel claimed to be unfamiliar with Peters, though several reports uncovered that he had appeared on his podcast at least eight times. Madeleine Dean, a Pennsylvania Democrat who served as a House impeachment manager during the second of two impeachment cases against Trump in his first term, used the hearing to try and tar and feather Patel as a liar. She brought up both this and evidence he had been involved in the January 6th riot and asked: 'Mr. Patel, my second question is, should we worry more about your memory or your veracity?' Patel shot back and offered similar accusations toward Dean. 'We should worry more about your lack of candor. You're accusing me of committing perjury. Tell the American people how I broke the law and committed a felony,' he said. Patel added: Have the audacity to actually put the facts forward instead of lying for political banter so you can have a 20-second donation hit.' Dean then chose to try and answer her own question: 'The answer is both.' 'The answer is you're failing, not me,' quipped Patel. Dean accused the FBI Director of having 'eagerness and childlike giddiness to carry out the president's revenge tour.' 'In your statements before you were sworn in and some after, you have shown yourself unfit to lead this important agency.' Patel also denied accusations from Dean that his book, Government Gangsters, included a so-called 'enemies list.' She asserted that the FBI had become 'weaponized' under Patel and confronted him over a book he had authored, saying a list of Trump adversaries he included in it amounted to an 'enemies list' and was being used by Trump as a 'blueprint for revenge.' Patel replied that he was the one who had been 'targeted by a weaponized FBI,' presumably referring to the fact that he was among the people whose records were secretly seized by the Justice Department years earlier as part of media leak investigations when he was a staffer on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence conducting an investigation into Russian election interference. 'You should read the book because there´s no enemies list (in) that book,' Patel continued. 'There are people that violated their constitutional obligations and their duties to the American people, and they were rightly called out. And you should give that book to every one of your constituents so they can read' about it. 'I won't be doing that,' Dean shot back. 'That's their loss,' Patel said. Patel broke with the Trump administration Wednesday over a budget proposal that would dramatically slash funding for the bureau, telling lawmakers, 'We need more than what has been proposed.' The 2026 budget proposal released on Friday calls for a funding cut of more than $500 million for the FBI as part of what the White House said was a desire to 'reform and streamline' the bureau and reduce 'non-law enforcement missions that do not align' with the priorities of President Donald Trump. He warned that such a cut would be harmful for the FBI as it reorients priorities to focus on violent crime. The 2026 budget proposal released on Friday calls for a funding cut of more than $500 million for the FBI as part of what the White House said was a desire to 'reform and streamline' the bureau and reduce 'non-law enforcement missions that do not align' with the priorities of President Donald Trump Asked to specify at a House Appropriations subcommittee which positions would need to be cut if the funding reduction was implemented, Patel replied: 'At this time, we have not looked at who to cut. We are focusing our energies on how not to have them cut by coming in here and highlighting to you that we can´t do the mission on those 2011 budget levels.' Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, pressed Patel for details, saying, 'This is your budget. You have to have some idea of what you want to fund or not fund, or where you can cut or not cut, and provide that information' to the Office of Management and Budget. 'That's the proposed budget - not by the FBI,' Patel replied. 'The proposed budget that I put forward is to cover us for for $11.1 billion, which would not have us cut any positions.' Patel also defended the FBI's plan to relocate about 1,000 FBI employees from the Washington area to cities around the country, one of the first initiatives he revealed upon being sworn in as director in February. 'Part of the process is not just putting people out sporadically, throwing darts on the map. What we´ve done is we´ve taken a process with the (career employees) at the FBI and said, `Where are some of the most violent crime places in America?´' Patel said.
