Trump Admin Labels Mahmoud Khalil ‘A Terrorist Sympathizer’ After He Refuses To Condemn Hamas

After Mahmoud Khalil —whom the Trump administration wanted to deport, prompting protests from leftists on campus and in the media — consistently avoided condemning Hamas on a television interview, the Department of Homeland Security bluntly declared, “Mahmoud Khalil refuses to condemn Hamas because he IS a terrorist sympathizer not because DHS ‘painted’ him as one.”

Khalil, who filed a $20 million claim against the Trump administration this month, was interviewed on CNN by hosts Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown; Brown displayed her own prejudice by quoting a United Nations Special Committee stating it had grounds to say Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians and Gaza. Blitzer and Brown supported Khalil as Blitzer selectively played a clip of Khalil making a statement against antisemitism, and Brown insisted, “You’ve consistently condemned antisemitism before and since your arrest.”

The hosts conveniently ignored Khalil having led American undergraduates at Columbia University in actions in support of Hamas after its October 7, 2023, attack. “He served as the negotiator on behalf of the occupying students with the university, pressuring the administration to accommodate student demands based on their illegal activity. He helped organize an illegal encampment on the campus that denied access to ‘Zionist’ students,” JNS noted.

“Do you specifically condemn Hamas, a designated terrorist organization in the United States, not just for their actions on October 7?” Brown asked.

“I condemn the killing of all civilians, full stop,” Khalil dodged. “But what I don’t want to get into is — no. I am clear with condemning all civilians. I’m very straight in my position in that part. But it’s disingenuous to ask about condemning Hamas while Palestinians are the ones being starved now by Israel.”

“It is fair to ask you about whether you can condemn Hamas because the Trump administration has claimed that you are a Hamas sympathizer. So, it’s very important to actually ask that question in this broad conversation,” Brown persisted.

“Yes. I simply asked and protested the war in Palestine,” Khalil dodged again. “That’s what I did. That’s my duty as a Palestinian, as a human being right now, is to ask for the stop of the killing in my home country. And that’s consistent with who I am. I’m a firm believer in international law and human rights and all my values come from that. … And that’s why I wouldn’t really engage in much into such questions on condemnation or not, because selective condemnation is not — wouldn’t get us anywhere.”

DHS issued this response to Khalil’s appearance on CNN: “Mahmoud Khalil refuses to condemn Hamas because he IS a terrorist sympathizer not because DHS ‘painted’ him as one. He ‘branded’ himself as an antisemite through his own hateful behavior and rhetoric. It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the United States of America. The Trump Administration acted well within its statutory and constitutional authority to detain Khalil, as it does with any alien who advocates for violence, glorifies and supports terrorists, harasses Jews, and damages property.”

Mahmoud Khalil refuses to condemn Hamas because he IS a terrorist sympathizer not because DHS ‘painted’ him as one. He ‘branded’ himself as antisemite through his own hateful behavior and rhetoric.

It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the… pic.twitter.com/nC2WCR6Dul

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 22, 2025