Latest news with #pro-Israel
The Intercept
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Intercept
Fetterman Voted With GOP to Make Sure Trump Can Attack Iran Again
In a Friday evening vote, the U.S. Senate rejected a war powers resolution that would have blocked President Donald Trump from making further attacks on Iran, despite widespread disapproval of last week's strikes. Senators voted 47-53, largely along party lines, on a measure offered by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., that would have prohibited Trump from offensive measures while preserving his ability to defend U.S. forces. Kaine's resolution drew near-unanimous support from Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. 'I am hoping that the members of this body will stand up for the constitution.' In a floor speech Friday night, Kaine underscored the continuing need for the measure despite a fragile ceasefire, noting that Trump said as recently as Friday that he would be willing to bomb Iran again. 'I am hoping — I am realistic — but I am hoping that the members of this body will stand up for the constitution, will stand up for the proposition that war is too big to be decided by one person,' Kaine said before his measure failed. A single Republican, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who often opposes foreign interventions, supported Kaine's measure. Aside from Paul, the resolution drew pushback from Senate Republicans. Critics said it would prevent the U.S. from defending Israel, despite an amendment from Kaine specifically designed to address that concern. 'President Trump seized the moment — responsibly, constitutionally, and decisively,' said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, the majority whip, on the Senate floor. 'America and our allies are safer today because of it. The resolution from Senator Kaine is not needed — and I oppose it. If passed, it would prevent the president from protecting us in the future.' The strikes revealed divisions within the Democratic caucus. Progressives largely opposed the strikes outright, while some pro-Israel Democrats offered qualified or full support. One of the most full-throated boosters was Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., who voted against Kaine's resolution. Fetterman has emerged as a leading proponent of the use of military force against Iran. 'Blow it up! Blow it up! I think we should waste what's left of their nuclear facilities,' he said in March. His aggressive stance has alienated former donors, who have requested refunds, and staffers, who have resigned at a steady pace. The war powers resolution was always considered a longshot, since it would have required the support of a veto-proof majority of both chambers of Congress. A similar attempt in 2019 to end the Trump administration's involvement in Saudi Arabia's war on Yemen faltered when Trump vetoed it, and Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, pulled a similar resolution from consideration in 2022 amid pushback from Joe Biden's administration. Kaine's measure, however, did put senators on the record about how they feel about Trump's unpopular strikes. Americans disapproved of the strikes 56 percent to 44 percent, according to a snap CNN poll conducted immediately after the attack. The results mirror other surveys. Many Democrats sought to criticize Trump without directly addressing the strikes by voicing concern over the administration's failure to obtain congressional approval before the attack, or to adequately brief Congress after it. 'The Democratic Party needs to clearly stand up against this war.' In the House, progressives and ranking committee leaders have offered two alternative war powers resolutions. Advocates say the version offered by Democratic leaders would do little to prevent Trump from launching future strikes if he justifies them as defending Israel. At a press conference Wednesday, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said the party should back the tougher resolution, which he cosponsored with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. 'The Democratic Party,' Khanna said, 'needs to clearly stand up against this war and take the mantle again of being the anti-war party, the party that stands up against wars of choice, against these endless wars in the Middle East.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Targeted by Trump, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie hauls in campaign cash
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., announced on Thursday that his campaign has hauled in $177,394 in recent days. "Will lobbyists for a FOREIGN country be able to buy a seat in Congress? That's the question in my re-election. 1,900 of you donated $177,394 this week to make sure I can hold this office to represent American interests, not foreign interests," the congressman noted in a Thursday post on his campaign X account. The flood of financial support for the fiscal hawk came after President Donald Trump repeatedly targeted the lawmaker on Truth Social. "The biggest impact of Trump getting involved on the other side of a race is usually diminished fund raising. In my case, we're seeing the opposite effect," Massie told Fox News Digital in a statement on Thursday. "Most of the people donating to me also support Trump, but they strongly believe Congressmen should be able to vote to represent their districts instead of being a rubber stamp for the President or beholden to foreign interest groups like AIPAC," he added, referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Trump Campaign Unleashes Pac To Oust Gop Congressman Who Questioned Authority To Strike Iran Read On The Fox News App The pro-Israel group returned fire in a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday. "Rep. Massie is so desperate to change the story from how he is an outspoken opponent of President Trump, that he is resorting to outrageously questioning the patriotism of millions of American citizens who are AIPAC members, including U.S. Veterans and more than 10,000 of his own constituents,' AIPAC's Marshall Wittmann asserted. "While the overwhelming majority of Americans support a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, Rep. Massie regularly votes with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders to undermine our partnership with Israel." Massie fired back, writing to Fox News Digital, "The AIPAC agenda includes endless foreign aid and US involvement in wars in the Middle-East, which contradicts the America first policies I support on behalf of Kentuckians. That's why they spent $400,000 against me last election cycle, and why they threaten to spend more this cycle." Massie, who was one of the two Republicans to vote against passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in the House last month, labeled Trump's strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran as "not Constitutional" in a post on X last week. Trump Pressures Congress To Pass 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' Insisting 'No One Goes On Vacation Until It's Done' The president excoriated Massie in a lengthy Truth Social post on Sunday, calling the congressman a "pathetic LOSER." "The good news is that we will have a wonderful American Patriot running against him in the Republican Primary, and I'll be out in Kentucky campaigning really hard," Trump declared. The president re-posted his anti-Massie tirade on Monday and commented, "GET THIS 'BUM' OUT OF OFFICE, ASAP!!!" Massie Reveals How Much Campaign Cash He's Hauled In Since Trump Targeted Him For Ouster: 'Fundraising Record' Then on Tuesday, the president once again targeted Massie, claiming in a Truth Social post that the congressman is "very bad for the Constitution." Massie pointed to Trump's 2022 statement endorsing him. "For those who want to know what @realDonaldTrump really thinks of me, this should clear things up…" the lawmaker wrote in a Tuesday post on article source: Targeted by Trump, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie hauls in campaign cash
New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Sen. Gillibrand rips NYC mayor hopeful Zohran Mamdani's controversial intifada comments, insists he should ‘denounce it'
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has ripped mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani's controversial comments on intifada — insisting the Democratic socialist should emphatically 'denounce it' if he wants to rep the Big Apple. Gillibrand, a pro-Israel Democrat, laid into Mamdani for refusing to condemn the 'globalize the intifada' rallying cry used by others as she demanded a sit-down with him so he can explain himself. 'As a leader of a city as diverse as New York City with 8 million people, as the largest Jewish population in the country, he should denounce it. And that's it. Period,' Gillibrand said during an appearance on WNYC on Thursday. 4 Zohran Mamdani won the NYC mayoral election primary. REUTERS 4 Senator Kirsten Gillibrand sparred with radio hosts on Mamdani's victory. LP Media The senator stressed that it was not enough for the 33-year-old Queens assemblyman to dubiously claim that intifada is not a call for violence but a broader term referring to resistance and uprisings. 'It doesn't matter what meaning you have in your brain, it is not how the word is received. And when you use a word like Intifada, to many Jewish Americans and Jewish New Yorkers, that means you are permissive for violence against Jews,' Gillibrand said. 'It is a serious word. It is a word that has deep meaning. It has been used for wars across time and violence and destruction and slaughter and murder against the Jews,' she continued. 4 Zohran Mamdani is an assemblyman now running to be NYC's. next mayor. Stephen Yang 'It is a harmful, hurtful, inappropriate word for anyone who wants to represent a city as diverse as New York City with 8 million people.' Gillibrand said she spoke to Mamdani on the phone after his Democratic primary upset over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this week, but now wants a meeting to hash it out. 'I've never sat down with Mr Mamdani. So I've asked to have that meeting. I'm going to have that meeting,' she said. 4 New York, New York, United States: U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) alongside U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Mariama James (R). Gillibrand said she had already expressed her concerns directly to Mamdani about his statements regarding Israel and pubic safety — and that he'd vowed to work with her if he's elected. 'This is something I care deeply about, and so I will be an advocate on these issues. These are things that I think are important to New Yorkers,' she said. 'And I will work with him when he gets elected, if he gets elected, to make sure everyone is protected.'
New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
NY Dem Reps. Tom Suozzi, Laura Gillen distance themselves from lefty NYC mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani: ‘We're not socialists'
Democrats in New York's battleground suburbs are distancing themselves from New York City mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani and his lefty socialist policies. Long Island members of Congress appeared particularly concerned about Republicans attempting to link them to Mamdani — the Democratic candidate for mayor — in the 2026 midterm elections. 'We are not socialists,' Rep. Laura Gillen, who represents Nassau County's 4th District, said in an interview Wednesday night on News Nation. Advertisement 3 Long Island Democrats are separating themselves from mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock '[Mamdani] ran a campaign based on a bunch of promises — free everything — without any real economic plan to pay for it., other than raising taxes,' she said. Rep. Tom Suozzi, who endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary and previously backed Mayor Eric Adams, said in a terse statement that he also was not on board with Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman. Advertisement 'I had serious concerns about Assemblyman Mamdani before [the primary], and that is one of the reasons I endorsed his opponent. Those concerns remain,' Suozzi said in a statement. Gillen opposed Mamdani's plan to raise taxes on the top 1% city earners and on businesses to generate $9 billion for his proposals. The congresswoman slammed the plan as impractical because it requires the approval of the governor and the state legislature — and argued hiking taxes would do more harm than good. 'New York City is the economic engine that drives our state and we need to make sure New York City thrives,' Gillen said. Advertisement Follow The Post's coverage of the NYC mayoral race 'Zohran Mamdani's socialist, defund the police platform is wrong for New York City,' she added. Both Gillen and Suozzi won tight races in their House elections last year. Their statements came as the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee was doing cartwheels about having a potential Democratic Socialists of America-affiliated mayor — hoping to use it to use against Dems in battleground districts where socialism is unpopular, or to exploit divisions within the Democratic Party on Mamdani. Advertisement 3 Rep. Laura Gillen told News Nation, 'We are not socialists,' in a Wednesday night interview with the network. AP 'Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen's insubordination is further proof that Democrats have no plan, no message, and no leader,' said NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O'Toole. 'Will [House Minority Leader] Hakeem Jeffries let them walk all over him, or will Suozzi and Gillen face consequences for defying their boss?' Jeffries congratulated Mamdani on his victory, as did Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Both New York Democrats said they would meet with them, but stopped short of an endorsement. Meanwhile, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a pro-Israel Democrat, slammed Mamdani for not condemning the phrase 'globalize the intifada.' 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! Gillibrand said she called Mamdani to congratulate him after he bested Cuomo in Tuesday's primary, but raised issues of concern, and did not endorse him as the Democratic nominee. 'I vote in Albany,' the Democratic senator said. Advertisement During a WNYC interview on Thursday, Gillibrand said she expressed concerns directly to Mamdani about his statements regarding Israel and pubic safety. 3 Rep. Tom Suozzi is also against Mamdani, having endorsed ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo for mayor of New York City. Ron Sachs – CNP for NY Post She declined to discuss specifics until a caller later asked her about Mamdani's anti-Israel position, and then she went off on his refusal to condemn the 'globalize the intifada' rallying cry. 'New York constituents I talked to are alarmed. They are alarmed by past public statements. They are alarmed about past public positions, referring to global jihad,' Gillibrand told the caller and host Brian Lehrer. Advertisement 'This is a very serious issue because people who glorify the slaughter of Jews create fear in our communities,' she said. 'The global intifada is a statement that means destroy Israel and kill all the Jews.' Gillibrand said Mamdani assured her he would protect Jews and all residents of New York City, if elected. Advertisement President Trump, for his part, wasted no time making Mamdani a bogeyman for the Republican Party, calling him a '100% communist lunatic.' 'We've had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous,' he wrote Wednesday on TruthSocial.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Man who was shot during altercation at pro-Israel rally in Newton placed on pre-trial probation
Advertisement Prosecutors said Gannon's case will be dismissed in September if he abides the probationary conditions. If he violates the conditions, his case will be scheduled for trial, prosecutors said. 'This resolution is the result of hundreds of hours of in-depth review and analysis by our legal and law enforcement experts,' Ryan's office said in a statement. 'It is the appropriate outcome given the facts of this particular case and the state of the evidence.' Hayes, 48, was at a pro-Israel rally in Newton on Sept. 12, 2024, when he got into a verbal altercation with Gannon, a pro-Palestinian activist. Gannon allegedly charged across a busy street and tackled Hayes, who shot him. Hayes, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and violation of a constitutional right causing injury, Advertisement Hayes was ordered to stay away and refrain from contacting Gannon, seek and apply for employment, and complete an online course on civil discourse. He is banned from visiting Newton except for religious or medical reasons, and his license to carry a firearm is suspended for the course of his probation, which ends Sept. 13. Hayes's attorney, Glenn MacKinlay, has maintained that Hayes fired the gun in self-defense and suffered 'serious injuries to his neck' when Gannon tackled him. He said Gannon allegedly choked Hayes and reached for his gun. MacKinlay could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Gannon's attorney also could not immediately be reached for comment. Nick Stoico can be reached at
