Latest news with #pro-Hamas'
New York Post
21-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
New York Young Republican Club pushing Congress to disqualify Zohran Mamdani from becoming NYC mayor
The New York Young Republican Club is pushing to get socialist Zohran Mamdani disqualified from the mayoral election — accusing the Democratic candidate of providing 'aid and comfort' to enemies of the US, The Post has learned. The 15-page NYYRC memo already has two potential supporters in Washington DC, New York Rep. Claudia Tenney and Indiana Rep. Marlin Stutzman, both Republicans, who would have to put the motion up for a vote. 'There is no question that Mamdani thus is affirmatively aiding and comforting known terrorists and enemies in the United States, requiring his disqualification under the Disqualification Clause,' the memo reads. 7 Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayoral candidate, endorsed by Local 802 American Federation of Musicians. Stephen Yang 7 The New York Young Republican Club is pushing to get socialist Zohran Mamdani disqualified from the mayoral election. Christopher Sadowski That rarely-used 14th Amendment provision was originally written to prevent Confederates from re-entering public office after the Civil War. It allows Congress to remove anyone who 'engaged in insurrection or rebellion' or has 'given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.' The NYYRC alleges that Mamdani's has provided 'aid and comfort' to enemies of the US by supporting 'pro-Hamas' groups like the anti-Israel group Within Our Lifetime. 7 That rarely-used 14th Amendment provision was originally written to prevent confederates from re-entering public office after the Civil War. Stephen Yang 7 The NYYRC alleges that Mamdani has provided 'aid and comfort' to enemies of the US by supporting 'pro-Hamas' groups like the anti-Israel group Within Our Lifetime. Getty Images It also claims that the Queens state Assemblyman is supporting gangs like MS-13 through his calls for non-cooperation with ICE and through his support of 'enemy ideologies,' like Marxism and Communism. The memo argues there is grounds to use the clause against the lefty mayoral frontrunner — and to pull him from the November general election ballot — due to his alleged support for those organizations and policies. Memo author and recording secretary for the club, Phil J. Leggio, said that it was drafted after Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles' controversial calls for the US Attorney General's Office to denaturalize and deport Mamdani as another attempt to neuter his surging candidacy. 7 The memo argues there is grounds to use the clause against the lefty mayoral frontrunner. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post He pointed to the oath Mamdani took when he was sworn in as a state lawmaker, calling it 'a binding permission and obligation to uphold the principles and laws therein.' 'Affirmatively taking steps to defend and protect America's enemies and known terrorist organizations within the state is an unequivocal break of that oath,' Leggio said. He also noted that he would like to see similar efforts against other leaders of sanctuary cities who defy President Trump's anti-immigration policies. 7 He pointed to the oath Mamdani took when he was sworn in as a state lawmaker, calling it 'a binding permission and obligation to uphold the principles and laws therein.' Getty Images 'It's time that such elected officials be held accountable for their actions,' Leggio said. The longshot push would require a two-thirds vote in both the US House of Representatives and the Senate to pass. If passed, the conviction could still be challenged up to the Supreme Court. 'Our office is closely reviewing the legal memo produced by NYYRC demanding the disqualification of Mamdani as Mayor,' Tenney, who represents New York's 22nd Congressional District upstate, said in a statement. Mamdani 'is a threat to the safety and financial wellbeing of every New Yorker,' she charged. 7 Mamdani 'is a threat to the safety and financial wellbeing of every New Yorker,' she charged. csuarez 'His calls to stand in the way of federal law enforcement, and to install a socialist economic system in New York City, fly in the face of the oath he took when becoming a New York State Assemblyman,' Stutzman added. 'By violating that oath, he has disqualified himself from running under the 14th Amendment. Zohran must be removed from the ballot immediately.' Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! Trump added cartels and gangs like MS-13 to the Foreign Terrorist Organization list earlier this year. The president has also slammed Mamdani as '100% Communist' in social media posts. Mamdani has repeatedly denied being a 'communist' and self-identifies as a socialist publicly. Mamdani's campaign did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
Sky News AU
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'It must stop': Former prime minister Tony Abbott calls for stronger action to stamp out 'pro-Hamas' protests, antisemitic attacks
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has claimed stronger action is needed to crackdown on antisemitism in the wake of fresh attacks on the Jewish community. On Tuesday, Mr Abbott called for a blanket ban on 'pro-Hamas' protests from carrying on across Australia and urged police to take harder stance. After visiting the synagogue in east Melbourne which was the target of last week's attempted arson attack, Mr Abbott told Sky News host Peta Credlin Jewish Australians had been 'under relentless attack' since October 7, 2023. 'It must stop - and all we've had up till now is largely impotent hand wringing from people in authority,' Mr Abbott said. 'Just as the police cracked down hard on the freedom protests during the pandemic, there's nothing to stop them cracking down hard these pro-Hamas, Jew-hatred protests. They've been going on for far too long. 'We can't tolerate it. They must be stopped. They must never be allowed to happen again and if the police object, the Premier should just say: 'I'm sorry, this is an instruction from the elected and accountable government to officialdom, go and carry it out'.' Mr Abbott said it was not a question of freedom of speech and the right to protest, as demonstrators had gone after and blatantly intimidated 'decent, law-abiding Australians'. Former homicide detective Charlie Bezzina echoed those sentiments, telling Sky News the police force had become muzzled and 'over risk-averse'. Mr Bezzina said police were 'sitting in buses around the corner' during protests in Melbourne last week. The former detective added police should be able to 'react on the spot' if a splinter group of 20 agitators descend on a restaurant, as they did during that protest. There were a series of problems arising from lack of action until after the incident, he said, claiming it was a 'bad look' and could lead to an unnecessary mental or physical injury. Mr Bezzina said Victoria's lack of protest permit laws was partly the problem, as there was no accountability, and suggested splinter groups be traced back to the main demonstration which is held responsible for intimidation and disruptive activity. 'Now when you apply for another permit you're not going to get it because you're not controlling your own people, it's not for us. So ultimately there is no accountability , they run riot,' he said. ' My particular question is, what have you achieved? Apart from inconveniencing the community, the good people of this state, what have you achieve globally, internally?' Author Ayaan Hirsi Ali said the increasing trend of antisemitic incidents in Australia was more than just criminal activity. 'We're looking at political violence. We need to know where the mother bee of this is,' she said. Ms Ali said the problem began with educational institutions and universities, which were 'not providing education anymore'. 'We're not teaching the disciplines of math and science and history and civics and Western civilisation and humanities and classics. Now we have something called 'studies',' she said. 'These are all grievance studies. You get a degree in resentment.'
The Hill
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Adams on Cuomo independent bid chatter: ‘I don't focus on what other candidates are doing'
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) on Friday brushed off talks of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo launching an independent bid, saying he's only focused on 'what I am doing.' 'I don't focus on what other candidates are doing. I focus on what I am doing,' Adams said during an appearance on CNN's 'The Lead' with Jake Tapper. 'I came from behind when I ran in 2021, I was head of 13-point deficit from the leading opponent in the race,' he told Tapper. 'And as you see, we were successful. I know I did campaign, I know how to speak to voters.' The mayor added, 'I'm a working class mayor. I'm a blue collar mayor, and I would resonate in the residents of this city. They see I'm one of them.' His comments come days after New York State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani seemed to edge out Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary — though results in the city's ranked-choice voting system are not final. Cuomo conceded to Mamdani, 33, after Tuesday's ballots were counted. Adams launched his own independent bid following the election. When asked if he's considered following in the mayor's footsteps, Cuomo told CBS News on Wednesday that he is 'assessing that landscape.' Mamdani also dismissed the chatter, saying he's 'not at all' concerned about that possibility. Asked about the self-proclaimed democratic socialist's perceived victory and what it means for the general election, Adams slammed the state lawmaker — who has lobbied for Palestine to become its own U.S.-recognized state — for being a 'pro-Hamas' candidate. 'I'm not competing against him only for what he's done and praising Hamas,' he told Tapper, a after highlighting the ways he believes Mamdani has backed the U.S.-designated terrorist organization amid its war with Israel. 'I'm competing against him because this is not a socialist city, and that much of what he's promising to people, which I think is really deplorable, people that are struggling like my family did of living without the means that we needed.' Adams earlier in the week also accused his opponent of being disingenuous. 'He's a snake oil salesman,' Adams told 'Fox & Friends' on Wednesday. 'He would say and do anything to get elected.' Tapper questioned the incumbent mayor on reports that he made a deal with the Trump administration to ramp up immigration enforcement in the Big Apple, following the Justice Department's decision to drop federal corruption charges against him. 'I never met the president prior to him running for office, never met in my life. He talked about the unfairness of the charges while he was on the campaign trail. And the first time we met, he also articulated the unfairness and the Justice Department used the same system that determines if someone should be indicted,' Adams said. 'They use that system to determine that I should not have been indicted, and the charges were dropped with prejudice,' he added. The mayor has denied the allegations in the past, even after several DOJ officials resigned following the Trump administration's move to drop the corruption charges.
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Who is Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil and why was he detained for 104 days in US?
Former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil has been released from a US immigration detention after 104 days over pro-Palestinian protests across US campuses. The US authorities had detained Mahmoud Khalil at his university residence on March 8.(AP/ File Photo) Khalil, a prominent voice in the pro-Palestinian protests last year, became a symbol of US President Donald Trump's clampdown after student protests. The 30-year-old international affairs student, who was released from a federal facility in Louisiana on Friday, is expected to head to New York to reunite with his wife and infant son, born while he was in detention, Associated Press reported. Why was Mahmoud Khalil arrested? The US authorities had detained Khalil at his university residence on March 8. The arrest appeared to be part of the Trump administration's pledge to deport international students who joined the protests against Israel's war in Gaza on US campuses last year. Also Read: Trump's immigration enforcement record so far, by the numbers He was taken to an immigration detention center in Jena, in remote Louisiana, though he was not involved in breaking any laws during the protests at Columbia. Mahmoud Khalil's role in pro-Palestinian protests Khalil, a legal US resident, served as a negotiator and spokesperson for student activists at Columbia University. The protesting students had demanded Columbia's divestment from companies with ties to Israel, a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the Israel-Hamas war that killed over 55,000 Palestinians. During the protest at Columbia, some protestors had seized the administration building, after which the university brought in police to dismantle the encampment. However, Khalil was not accused of participating in the building occupation and wasn't among those arrested in connection with the protests. The case so far Months after the protests, the US government said that international students who participated in the protests should be expelled from the US for 'antisemitic' and 'pro-Hamas' sentiments. Also Read: Trump shares social media post suggesting Iran's Fordow nuclear site 'is gone' after US strikes Khalil's lawyers had challenged his detention, saying that the authorities were trying to deport him for an activity protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed Khalil's deportation citing a statute that allows the government to deport those who pose "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States." Though an Immigration Judge ruled that the government's contention was enough to satisfy requirements for Khalil's deportation, federal judges in New York and New Jersey ordered the US government not to deport Khalil while his case was being heard. Khalil was released after US District Judge Michael Farbiarz said it would be 'highly, highly unusual' for the government to continue detaining a legal US resident as he was not a flight risk or threat to his community while his immigration proceedings continued.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Palestinian student Mohsen Mahdawi's release offers hope amid Trump crackdown
Pro-Palestinian students detained by immigration authorities saw their biggest win to date this week with the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, though both his case and the fight at large have a long way to go. While the ruling is not the kind of slam dunk that would make advocates feel safer about the state of free speech on college campuses, it is the first major breakthrough in the courts for international students who have been besieged by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under President Trump. 'While this decision is a positive development, and we certainly hope there are more decisions like it coming down the road, I do think it would be overly ambitious to say that this provides a layer of protection' for students, said Conor Fitzpatrick, supervising senior attorney at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Mahdawi, a green-card holder and 10-year U.S. resident, was released on bail Wednesday after he was arrested April 14 by plain clothes officers during what was supposed to be a naturalization interview, with video of the incident quickly going viral. The judge in the Columbia University student's case cited First Amendment concerns in his ruling. 'His continued detention would likely have a chilling effect on protected speech, which is squarely against the public interest. And continuing to detain him would not benefit the public in any way, as Mahdawi appears not to be either a flight risk or a danger to the community,' U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford said. 'Finally, Mr. Mahdawi's release will benefit his community, which appears to deeply cherish and value him,' Crawford added. The release was the first among the high-profile cases that have garnered national attention in Trump's crackdown. The administration has accused Mahdawi and others of being 'pro-Hamas' and says the secretary of State has the authority to order their deportation because they pose a threat to the foreign policy of the United States. 'When you advocate for violence, glorify and support terrorists that relish the killing of Americans and harass Jews, that [visa] privilege should be revoked and you should not be in this country. We have the law, facts and commonsense on our side,' Tricia McLaughlin, assistant Homeland Security secretary, said on social platform X after Mahdawi's ruling. 'No judge, not this one or another, is going to stop the Trump Administration from restoring the rule of law to our immigration system,' McLaughlin added. Mahmoud Khalil, another Columbia alumnus and the first pro-Palestinian student activist known to be arrested by ICE, and Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, who was allegedly targeted over a school newspaper op-ed she co-authored supporting Palestine, are both still fighting for their own release. Both were taken to Louisiana to be detained, leading to fights over which courts have jurisdiction over their cases. Advocates argue the administration taking students thousands of miles away from where they were arrested is intentional to harm them and get the proceedings into a friendlier court. Louisiana's district courts feed into the most conservative federal appeals court in the country. Mahdawi's 'case shows that once you get past all of the government's procedural tricks and hurdles … the government's defense' will not work in court, said Brian Hauss, senior staff attorney on the American Civil Liberties Union Speech, Privacy and Technology Project and part of Mahdawi's legal team. 'We expect that when the courts reach the merits in the other cases, they're going to see through [the federal government] as well. And so, we're hopeful that this is the first step in a very important constitutional right,' Hauss added. Fitzpatrick said the brighter light of hope 'that college students and other noncitizens should look for is whether an injunction has been issued, whether a court has issued an order blocking the Trump administration's efforts to deport noncitizens for protected speech.' Multiple academic groups have sued the administration over the policy the federal government is using to justify the arrests of international students and scholars. The Trump administration has not shown any signs of stopping, but advocates argue that even if all the cases were dropped today, the effects on free speech at college campuses will be long lasting. 'Over the last year, there's been a consistent and persistent squashing of speech, and that, unfortunately may continue and there is going to be a lingering fear,' said Kristen Shahverdian, program director of campus free speech at Pen America. 'There are already those repercussions where students and others on campus are reporting that they are afraid and that the risk is high, so they have to be really mindful of what they say, of voicing opinions, certainly not protesting visibly right out in the quad. And so, I think that, unfortunately, these kinds of cases can have a much longer term effect,' she added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
