New York GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, who has launched a gubernatorial bid, fiercely attacked Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, accusing her of “cowardly” silence after New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani endorsed Palestinian activist Aber Kawas for the State Assembly.
Stefanik declared that Hochul, having endorsed Mamdani’s successful mayoral run, now “owns” his decision to elevate a candidate whom Stefanik labels a “terrorist sympathizer.&#8221; She demanded that Hochul condemn both Mamdani’s endorsement of Kawas and what Stefanik described as the “anti-American and antisemitic filth” being normalized.
“Kathy Hochul endorsed Mamdani and now owns his latest public endorsement of radical activist Aber Kawas for New York State Assembly, a proud terrorist sympathizer and denigrator of the United States,” Stefanik said in a statement. “Kawas notoriously blamed America for 9/11 that claimed the lives of thousands of New Yorkers, citing the United States&#8217; ‘system of capitalism,’ ‘racism,’ ‘white supremacy,’ and ‘Islamophobia’ as justification for the terrorist attacks that killed New Yorkers. It is clear that Mamdani owns and controls the Worst Governor in America, Kathy Hochul, as she cowardly remains silent on the anti-American and antisemitic filth spewed by the incoming Mayor and his endorsed candidates. Kathy Hochul must condemn Mamdani’s endorsement of Kawas immediately.”
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In 2017, Kawas stated that “the system of capitalism and racism, and white supremacy, et cetera, have all, and Islamophobia, have all been used to colonize lands, right, to take resources from other people, and so this is, like, a long trajectory. And we&#8217;re just seeing the manifestations of that continuation, right, with 9/11.”
The controversy erupted after Mamdani — a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the incoming mayor — <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/11/17/mamdani-backs-palestinian-activist-in-legislative-race-where-battle-with-israeli-lobby-a-key-issue/">backed</a> Kawas at a closed-door DSA meeting. Kawas has a long record of controversial statements, including a 2017 panel appearance in which she framed the September 11 attacks as a “manifestation” of U.S. capitalism, racism, white supremacy, and Islamophobia — remarks that critics say blame America for the murder of nearly 3,000 people. Kawas has also defended individuals convicted of terrorism-related offenses, including synagogue bomb plotter Ahmed Ferhani and al-Qaeda financier Fahad Hashmi, whom she <a href="https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/socialists-unite-mamdani-throws-support-behind-behind-state-assembly-candidate-who-blamed-9-11-on-america/">described</a> as a “living martyr” whose imprisonment deprived activists of peace of mind.
Mamdani’s endorsement has also frightened Jewish New Yorkers already unsettled by his past rhetoric, including his affirmation of the phrase “globalize the intifada,” a slogan the U.S. Holocaust Museum has condemned because violence has been committed under its banner. Mamdani previously campaigned with a radical imam who spoke of “jihad” in New York City.
Within the Queens Assembly race itself, Mamdani’s move set up a clash with supporters of Brian Romero, the district&#8217;s longtime community figure and outgoing Democratic Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas’s preferred successor. Both <a href="https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2020/07/meet-the-insurgents-who-are-likely-future-assembly-members/175792/">Gonzalez-Rojas</a> and <a href="https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2025/10/brian-romero-hopes-succeed-his-former-boss-assembly/408676/">Romero</a> are reportedly DSA members. While Romero’s backers emphasized his deep neighborhood ties — especially in a predominantly Hispanic district — Kawas’s supporters insisted a Palestinian candidate was necessary to “draw the fire of the Israeli lobby,” boasting that they “did it with Zohran.”

Elise Stefanik

Stefanik Slams Hochul’s ‘Cowardly Silence’ After Mamdani’s Endorsement Of 9/11 Apologist

9/11

Elections

Kathy Hochul

New York

New York City

Politics

Zohran Mamdani

A new survey shows that GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik (NY) would beat incumbent New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in a head-to-head match-up with independent voters.
The <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/12/us-news/stefanik-would-trounce-blakeman-in-potential-gop-match-up-for-ny-governor/">survey</a> asked New York voters who they would vote for if the 2026 gubernatorial election were held today. Stefanik secured 41% of &#8220;Independent/Other&#8221; voters against Hochul, whereas fellow Republican, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, secured 29% of independents against Hochul.
Blakeman, who just recently won re-election as county executive, is reportedly seriously mulling over a run for governor.
Notably, Stefanik edged out Hochul by three points in their match-up with independent voters.
The survey, conducted by J.L. Partners, focused largely on different Republicans&#8217; chances against Hochul in the coming election. Stefanik, who officially announced her candidacy for governor this month, would perform much better than Blakeman, according to the poll.
In Blakeman&#8217;s hypothetical match-up against Hochul, he loses by 11 points with all voters. When Stefanik is matched up against Hochul, she only loses by three points. The margin of error for the poll is estimated at 4.4%.
Stefanik seems to be gaining on Hochul, too. As highlighted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-shows-elise-stefanik-has-kathy-hochul-in-striking-distance-after-ny-gov-endorses-mamdani">The Daily Wire</a> last month, a GrayHouse poll showed Hochul leading Stefanik 48% to 43% with New York voters. Again, the most recent poll shows Stefanik only down by three points.
Stefanik announced her bid for governor just days after Zohran Mamdani won the election to be New York City’s next mayor with Hochul’s endorsement. Mamdani has been criticized as anti-police and antisemitic, and ran on “free buses,” government-run grocery stores, sky-high taxes, and other extremely far-Left promises.
“Kathy Hochul is the Worst Governor in America. Under her failed leadership, New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation with the highest taxes, highest energy, utilities, rent, and grocery bills,” Stefanik said when she announced. “When New Yorkers were looking for leadership from our Governor, she bent the knee to the raging Defund the Police, Tax Hiking Communist causing catastrophe for New York families.”
Stefanik has promised to introduce policies to lower the cost of utilities, energy, and groceries. The Republican has also boasted of her efforts to fight “woke insanity in our schools” and support small businesses. She’s additionally targeted Hochul for “cozying” up to Mamdani, whom she described as an “antisemitic communist.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stefanik-launches-gubernatorial-bid-to-oust-empire-states-communist-loving-red-queen">Stefanik Launches Gubernatorial Bid To Oust Empire State’s ‘Communist’-Loving Red Queen</a>

Elise Stefanik, Kathy Hochul

POLL: Stefanik Dominates With Independents, Beats Hochul

2026 Midterms

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) launched a run for New York governor on Friday, challenging the “failed” incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and her embrace of leftist New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. 
Stefanik’s announcement comes just days after Mamdani won the election as New York City’s next mayor with Hochul&#8217;s endorsement. Highlighting Hochul’s support for radical policies and New York’s high cost of living, Stefanik said she would make the Empire State “affordable and safe FOR ALL&#8221; if elected governor. 
“Kathy Hochul is the Worst Governor in America. Under her failed leadership, New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation with the highest taxes, highest energy, utilities, rent, and grocery bills,” Stefanik announced. “When New Yorkers were looking for leadership from our Governor, she bent the knee to the raging Defund the Police, Tax Hiking Communist causing catastrophe for New York families.”
In an ad posted alongside her announcement on social media, Stefanik said she would introduce policies to lower the cost of utilities, energy, and groceries. The spot also pointed to her record of fighting “woke insanity in our schools,” supporting small businesses, and targeted Hochul for &#8220;cozying&#8221; up to Mamdani, whom she described as an &#8220;antisemitic communist.&#8221; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Kathy Hochul is the Worst Governor in America. Under her failed leadership, New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation with the highest taxes, highest energy, utilities, rent, and grocery bills. When New Yorkers were looking for leadership from our Governor, she bent… <a href="https://t.co/HXyQlNIjEj">pic.twitter.com/HXyQlNIjEj</a>
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) <a href="https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik/status/1986750485055823895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Stefanik is a close ally of President Donald Trump and was the chair of the House Republican Conference from 2021 to 2025. 
While New York is a solidly blue state, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-shows-elise-stefanik-has-kathy-hochul-in-striking-distance-after-ny-gov-endorses-mamdani">recent polling</a> suggests the race could be close. One poll from GrayHouse, conducted last month, showed Hochul leading Stefanik in a hypothetical matchup, 48% to 43%. 
The poll also suggested that the race could tighten if Mamdani won the mayoral election. Around 47% of voters who identified as independents said that Mamdani’s election would make them less likely to vote for a Democrat in the governor’s race. 
Hochul campaigned with Mamdani throughout his mayoral campaign, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/opinion/hochul-endorsement-mamdani.html">saying</a> that she believed he had “the courage, urgency and optimism New York City needs to lead it through the challenges of this moment.” Mamdani was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mamdanis-party-nycs-new-mayor-celebrates-win-by-channeling-americas-marxist-icon?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Mamdani’s+Party%3A+NYC’s+New+Mayor+Celebrates+Win+By+Channeling+America’s+Marxist+Icon">elected</a> on Tuesday on a platform promising to freeze rents for two million New Yorkers, open government-owned grocery stores, and provide universal childcare. 
Shortly after Stefanik officially announced her gubernatorial run, New York GOP Chairman Ed Cox officially endorsed her. 
&#8220;Thanks to Kathy Hochul and Democrats, New York leads the nation in outmigration as the most taxed, least free, least affordable state in America,” he said. “There will not be a Republican primary and a year from now, Elise will lead our team to victory over Kathy Hochul, end one-party Democrat rule, and make New York affordable again.&#8221;

MixCollage-07-Nov-2025-08-08-AM-5984

Stefanik Launches Gubernatorial Bid To Oust Empire State’s ‘Communist’-Loving Red Queen

There&#8217;s been a lot of talk lately about the radicalism problem on the Right. It is, indeed, a problem that exists.
But is it nearly as mainstream as it is on the Left? Has it been imbibed? Has it been ingested? Has it been sucked into the great maw of the party and turned into the mainstream position on the Right?
The answer, of course, is no.
But on the Left, the answer is very much yes.
The Democratic Party has decided to let the radicals run the show. This has become extraordinarily clear over the course of, not just of the past couple of election cycles, but the past few months, now that Zohran Mamdani has been vetted by the entire Democratic Party as the future of the party.
All of the so-called moderates in the Democratic Party refuse to dissociate in any way from Mamdani, who is, in fact, a terror sympathizer; who is, in fact, a Marxist radical; who is, in fact, a complete, useless ne&#8217;er do well of a human being who has somehow managed to manipulate himself into a position to become the mayor of the financial center of planet Earth in New York City.
Mamdani is a Marxist with jihadist leanings. That&#8217;s the reality. And in the modern Democratic Party, that is a feature, not a bug.
There are a lot of people in the media who&#8217;ve been struggling to figure out how Mamdani was able to win a primary despite having these radical positions. I&#8217;ve been saying since he won the Democratic Party primary that his winning is not a bug; it is a feature quite popular among Democratic primary voters, because the Democratic electorate has basically split between moderates who are increasingly bleeding over into the Republican Party or into the independents, and the hardcore Democrats, who are increasingly moving ever further to the left.
We are now two generations removed from the specter of communism via the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union fell 35 years ago, and that means that there are a lot of people who don&#8217;t remember the Soviet Union or the risks of communism. When they think of socialism, they actually are thinking of mixed states, capitalist states that have a significant welfare portion in places in Europe.
But the solutions that they are proposing are full-scale nationalization projects, Marxist projects directly from the Soviet, Cuban, Venezuelan handbook. And they don&#8217;t even know they&#8217;re doing that — or they don&#8217;t care.
What that means is that the candidate who signals the furthest to the Left in many of these areas in the primaries is actually quite likely to win. That’s how someone with Mamdani’s positions on the Middle East and terrorism and jihadism — only 24 years removed from 9/11 — can be elected mayor of New York.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2298-mamdani-aoc-and-bernie-oh-my?elementPosition=4&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
 New York City is likely to elect as mayor somebody who has sympathies for Al-Qaeda. I don&#8217;t mean he&#8217;s sympathetic to the actual terror attacks of 9/11, although he&#8217;s quite sympathetic to the terror group Hamas. I mean he believes that the Osama bin Laden-articulated grievances of 2001 against the West are mostly correct.
There are people who&#8217;ve been trained for generations in this country to believe that Western civilization is responsible for everything bad that happens on planet Earth, that third-world countries are third-world because of exploitation by the first world. They believe that terror centers are terror centers, not because of a deeply steeped radical Islamic ideology, but instead because somehow the West has been cruel to people.
That’s the kind of garbage Mamdani is preaching, and it is finding a ready audience among Democratic primary voters.
Very few Democrats have had the stones to simply say, “No, this is a bridge too far. The answer here is no.”
What&#8217;s amazing about that is that the risk factor in making such a statement is relatively low. Imagine that you are a mainstream Democrat, an elected official from Kansas, and somebody asks you about Mamdani. Does it cost you anything to say, “No, that guy&#8217;s too extreme. I would not vote for him. I&#8217;d vote for Andrew Cuomo.” Would that cost you anything?
Let&#8217;s say that you&#8217;re a purple state Democrat. Or let&#8217;s say that you&#8217;re a blue state Democrat. You&#8217;re just not a New York City, far-Left Greenwich Village Democrat. Does it cost you anything to say, “No, that dude is too much for me. I understand the primary voters chose him, but the reality is that is not representative of America.”
<div id="attachment_987879" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-987879" class="size-large wp-image-987879" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2241087777-864x576.jpg" alt="Andrew Cuomo, New York City mayoral candidate, from left, Curtis Sliwa, New York City mayoral candidate, and Zohran Mamdani, New York City mayoral candidate, during a mayoral debate in New York, US, on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. Millions of dollars are pouring into the mayoral election with less than four weeks to go until New Yorkers go to the polls. Photographer: Angelina Katsanis/AP Photo/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2241087777-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2241087777-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2241087777-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2241087777.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Angelina Katsanis/AP Photo/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
Instead, the Democratic Party has decided they must draft off of the Mamdani energy. And that&#8217;s why you&#8217;re seeing nationally a reflection of Mamdani politics via the Bernie Sanders wing of the party.
Mamdani is a child of the Bernie Sanders revolution because Bernie obviously is not just a socialist when it comes to domestic policy. He is also a Howard Zinn, anti-American extremist when it comes to American foreign policy. Mamdani is just following in the footsteps of Bernie Sanders. But he&#8217;s adding a more diverse backstory.
People think Mamdani’s radicalism about the Middle East is somehow an inhibitor to his political success.
Wrong.
In New York City, with its Democratic primary base, his radicalism is an aphrodisiac. The Democratic Party base wants this signaling. They want the extremism. They want the Howard Zinn-ification of American foreign policy.
Israel pulls out of Gaza, and Hamas immediately starts consolidating control by literally pulling people out of their houses, lining them up, putting them on their knees, and shooting them in the head. There are videos of this happening.
And Mamdani has nothing to say about this. Not only does he have nothing to say about this, he&#8217;s asked whether Hamas should disarm now and he won&#8217;t even answer a question as to whether Hamas ought to be disarmed.
New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik was asked by a New York Times reporter, “I&#8217;m a reporter for the Times. I&#8217;m writing about Elise Stefanik’s comments in response to Mamdani’s Fox News interview, Mamdani’s campaign has said that her comments calling him a jihadist were Islamophobic. Please let me know if you want to respond.” 
Stefanik <a href="https://x.com/EliseStefanik/status/1978943584867860643">responded</a> publicly on X:
<blockquote>I call Zohran Mamdani a jihadist because he is. Zohran Mamdani is a raging antisemite. Mamdani is the definition of a jihadist as he supports Hamas terrorists which he did as recently as yesterday when he refused to call for Hamas terrorists to put down their arms &#8211; the same Hamas terrorist group that slaughtered civilians including New Yorkers on October 7, 2023. 
He is Kathy Hochul’s endorsed jihadist Communist who she has empowered to destroy New York City. It’s why the New York State Democrat Party Chair refuses to support him. It’s why multiple Democrat Members of Congress refuse to support him. It’s why Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have still not endorsed him. Because Zohran is a jihadist who will destroy New York.</blockquote>
Why aren&#8217;t Democrats dissociating from him?
None of them will say it because they are trying to draft off the jet fuel that is radicalism and nut-jobbery inside the Democratic Party.
Bill Ackman <a href="https://x.com/BillAckman/status/1979000490563432948">stated</a> on X of Mamdani:
<blockquote>It is now abundantly clear he is completely full of it. The whole thing is an act. Just look at the identical practiced smile with which he ends each answer. After watching him recreate his fake smile, your skin will start to crawl. Mamdani exudes inauthenticity and smugness. He denies or disavows any of his previous public statements that he knows will now cost him votes. The only takeaway is that he is an extremely articulate inauthentic actor. You can’t trust one word out of his mouth. And that’s before you get to his policies which make no economic sense.</blockquote>
This is the nature of the modern Democratic Party.
And they are moving in this direction at light speed.

New York City Mayoral Debate

Radicalism Isn’t Fringe Anymore In The Democratic Party

Andrew Cuomo

Ben Shapiro

Democratic Socialism

Democrats

Islamic Jihad

Leftists

Marxism

Mayor

Opinion

U.S. Politics

Congress has officially passed legislation honoring the team that gave the United States one of its greatest Cold War victories — not in the halls of diplomacy, but on a sheet of ice.
The Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act, championed by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN), has cleared both chambers of Congress and now awaits a final signature from President Donald Trump. The bill awards three Congressional Gold Medals to the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team — a group of college kids headed by legendary coach Herb Brooks — for their historic 4-3 triumph over the Soviet Union, an act of athletic defiance that echoed far beyond Lake Placid. The Soviet Union hockey team was regarded as invincible, having trounced a team of NHL All-Stars before the Olympics.
<div>
The game was named the greatest sports moment of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated.
</div>
“It is an incredible honor to represent Lake Placid, where the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men’s Hockey Team pulled off one of the greatest sports upsets in world history,” Stefanik <a href="https://stefanik.house.gov/2025/9/stefanik-s-miracle-on-ice-congressional-gold-medal-passes-the-house">declared</a> following the House’s September 15 vote. “The American defeat of the Soviet Union during the Cold War was a triumph of perseverance, unity, and spirit, not only for the athletes on the ice but for all Americans.”
Indeed, it wasn’t just a game — it was a symbolic haymaker thrown by a group of college kids against the professional behemoth of Soviet communism. It was America at its best: scrappy, underestimated, and absolutely unwilling to quit.
The medals will be enshrined at three symbolic institutions:
<ol>
<li data-start="1590" data-end="1663">The Lake Placid Olympic Center in New York, where history was made.</li>
<li data-start="1667" data-end="1763">The United States Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota — hockey’s spiritual homeland.</li>
<li data-start="1767" data-end="1875">The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado, commemorating Olympic greatness.</li>
</ol>
This isn’t just about medals — it’s about memory. And as Stefanik noted, it comes as the 50th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice approaches in 2030.
Backed by a chorus of support from the National Hockey League, USA Hockey, and both sides of the aisle in Congress, the legislation recognizes what the American people have long known: that Herb Brooks’ squad didn’t just win a game — they delivered a gut punch to Soviet dominance at a time when America desperately needed a win. The U.S. had last won the gold medal in 1960; the Soviets had won every gold medal after that, in 1964, 1968, 1972, and 1976.
The bill pays homage to that historic moment, noting that the victory aired to more than 34 million Americans, inspired a generation of athletes, and forever changed the game of hockey in the U.S.
Since 1980, American hockey registrations have jumped from 136,000 to more than 564,000, and the number of U.S.-born NHL players has more than tripled. The ripple effects of “the Miracle” are still being felt today — on NHL ice, in youth leagues, and now in the annals of congressional history.
Perhaps most powerful are the words of the late Coach Brooks, who famously told his team before facing the Soviets: “You were born to be hockey players … and you were meant to be here.”
They were. And now, thanks to this bill, Congress has said they were also meant to be remembered.
The timing couldn’t be more poignant. The 1980 team played against the backdrop of stagflation, gas shortages, a hostage crisis in Iran, and a demoralized national mood. The Cold War was peaking, the Soviet Union had just invaded Afghanistan, and Americans were wondering whether their best days were behind them.
Then came a puck drop, a roar in Lake Placid, and a stunned Soviet squad skating off the ice. In that moment, American grit beat Soviet strength.
Now the bill — which had near-unanimous support in the House and Senate — lands on President Trump’s desk, where it is widely expected to be signed without delay.

February 22,1980: Oylympics: USA Hockey v Russia, February 22, 1980

‘Do You Believe In Miracles?’: Trump Set To Honor 1980 Olympic Hockey Team

Congress

Hockey

Miracle on Ice

Olympics

Russia

In a move that underscores the growing arrogance of the Democratic Party’s far-left flank, New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani refused to endorse sitting New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for re-election just one day after she publicly backed his candidacy — a gesture that cost her political capital among moderates and independents.
After weeks of hesitation, Hochul, the embattled Democrat, finally bent the knee and endorsed Mamdani over the weekend. She published an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/opinion/hochul-endorsement-mamdani.html">op-ed</a> in The New York Times, making the case that unity against Donald Trump was more important than her ideological rift with Mamdani — a radical democratic socialist who backs higher taxes, defunding the police, and “reimagining” capitalism.
But Mamdani, true to form, wasted no time revealing just how transactional the endorsement would be. Speaking to reporters on Monday, he <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/09/15/mamdani-declines-to-immediately-back-hochuls-reelection-after-she-offers-him-coveted-endorsement/">casually brushed aside</a> the idea of returning the favor. “My focus is on November,” Mamdani said, refusing to endorse Hochul’s 2026 re-election bid. He offered perfunctory gratitude for her support — then pivoted back to his talking points.
The message was clear: Mamdani is happy to accept Hochul’s help, but he has no intention of helping her fend off what could be a brutal primary challenge from her own left flank — or a general election fight against Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who’s already blasting Hochul for supporting “a raging antisemite communist.”
Hochul didn’t simply endorse Mamdani out of genuine alignment. She did it as a calculated gamble — to shore up support among progressives ahead of a likely challenge from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and to boost turnout in NYC. And yet, Mamdani couldn’t even offer her the bare minimum in return.
This one-sided “alliance” is exposing the very rift that is tearing the Democratic Party apart. Hochul admitted in her own op-ed that she and Mamdani were “unlikely allies” and that they “don’t see eye to eye.” She explicitly distanced herself from his most extreme proposals — including hiking taxes on the wealthy and gutting the NYPD — while also noting concerns over antisemitism.
Meanwhile, other prominent New York Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have still refused to endorse Mamdani at all.
Stefanik wasted no time capitalizing on Hochul’s endorsement, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stefanik-rips-hochul-for-backing-raging-antisemite-communist-zohran-mamdani?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Stefanik+Rips+Hochul+For+Backing+%E2%80%98Raging+Antisemite+Communist%E2%80%99+Zohran+Mamdani">torching</a> the governor for “putting jet fuel on commie Mamdani” and vowing to save New York from the radicalism she said is destroying the state.
Hochul handed Mamdani a lifeline in the name of party unity. In return, he handed her political disrespect and strategic silence.
It’s the perfect encapsulation of today’s Democratic Party: “moderates” grovel to radicals as the radicals grind them down.

MixCollage-16-Sep-2025-09-55-AM-4884

Hochul Endorses Mamdani. The Very Next Day, He Refuses To Endorse Her.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who is eyeing a 2026 run for New York governor, tore into sitting Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul for endorsing far-left NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani — branding the frontrunner as a “raging antisemite communist” and accusing Hochul of enabling policies that are wrecking the Empire State.
Appearing on Fox &amp; Friends on Monday morning, Stefanik launched a fiery attack, stating, “Kathy Hochul is the worst governor in America, and it was only a matter of time before she bent the knee for this raging antisemite communist.” She added that Hochul now “owns” Mamdani’s extreme agenda, which includes stances of defunding the police, abolishing prisons, eliminating private health insurance, and legalizing prostitution.
Stefanik didn’t hold back on the consequences of Hochul’s hard-left pivot, saying the governor has “embraced communism” and “put jet fuel on commie Mamdani.” She blasted Hochul for pandering to her radical base while ignoring the will of New Yorkers, the majority of whom Stefanik says reject Mamdani’s views and want “common sense” leadership.
“She owns all of his heinous positions that will make New York less affordable and more dangerous,” Stefanik said, pointing to skyrocketing taxes, collapsing public safety, and mass outmigration. “They’re not leaving because of the weather,” she noted. “They’re leaving because of the policies.”
Stefanik’s remarks follow her formation of the “Save New York” PAC, which aims to elect Republicans statewide in 2025 and lay the groundwork for her expected gubernatorial bid. With potential GOP challengers like Rep. Mike Lawler stepping aside, Stefanik is increasingly seen as the frontrunner should she decide to enter the race.
Slamming Hochul’s alignment with Mamdani’s radical proposals, Stefanik said the governor has “embraced tax hikes, defunding the police, government-run grocery stores, and decriminalizing sex work,” warning that such policies will “further destroy New York.”
Stefanik pointed to recent polling to bolster her case, noting that Hochul is hemorrhaging support among independents and on Long Island. “Sixty percent of voters on Long Island want someone new,” she said, adding that “no state moved more to the Republican direction than New York in 2024.”
The congresswoman argued that New Yorkers — regardless of party — are waking up to the extremism of the state’s Democratic leadership. “The vast majority of New York City and New York residents do not want communism. They do not want antisemitism,” she said.
As the state gears up for a volatile 2026 cycle, Stefanik is positioning herself as the GOP’s answer to what she calls a collapsing Democrat Party that’s been hijacked by the radical left.

Stefanik Rips Hochul For Backing ‘Raging Antisemite Communist’ Zohran Mamdani

Trump ally Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is set to launch her campaign for New York governor, giving Republicans new hope of flipping the traditionally deep blue Empire State, two sources familiar with Stefanik&#8217;s thinking told The Hill.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not a matter of if, it&#8217;s a matter of when,&#8221; one source close to Stefanik <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5371832-stefanik-prepares-launch-governor-race/">told</a> The Hill, noting that the congresswoman will announce &#8220;at the time and place&#8221; of her choosing.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, Stefanik has been considering a run in recent months, following President Trump&#8217;s decision to withdraw her nomination to serve as U.N. ambassador, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stepping-up-as-a-team-stefanik-reacts-after-trump-withdraws-nomination">deeming</a> it too risky to put her competitive district up for an open election ahead of Trump&#8217;s push for his &#8220;big, beautiful bill.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
RUN <a href="https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EliseStefanik</a> RUN!! <a href="https://t.co/EJu4v6jz2n">https://t.co/EJu4v6jz2n</a>
&mdash; Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/megynkelly/status/1938350682106458604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Stefanik was the number four Republican in the House, serving as Chair of the House Republican Conference after replacing former Rep. Liz Cheney, before being briefly nominated as U.N. ambassador.
Polling indicates strong support for the Trump ally, with a GrayHouse survey showing Stefanik commanding 44% among Republican primary voters compared to just 7% for Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and 5% for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, both of whom received Trump endorsements for reelection to their current positions last month.
Republicans have reason for optimism in the traditionally Democratic stronghold, as the GOP has made significant gains in recent elections.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
Trump lost New York by just over 12 points in 2024, a dramatic 11-point <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-the-nation-told-us-in-2024-state-by-state/">improvement</a> from his 2020 performance, while current Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul defeated Republican challenger Lee Zeldin by only 6 points in her 2022 race. However, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report still considers the upcoming gubernatorial contest &#8220;likely Democratic.&#8221;
Stefanik, 41, has risen quickly through the Republican ranks since first being elected to Congress in 2014 at the age of 30 – at that time, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Her national profile grew significantly during former President Trump&#8217;s first impeachment proceedings, when she emerged as one of his most vocal defenders.
Republicans have been increasingly competitive in parts of New York, particularly in Long Island and Hudson Valley districts that helped the party secure a narrow House majority in 2022. Economic concerns, rising crime rates, and migration issues have become prominent topics that GOP candidates have successfully leveraged to win local races.
Stefanik&#8217;s run would come after socialist Zohran Mamdani defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in Tuesday&#8217;s Democratic mayoral primary, inciting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/billionaire-pledges-to-bankroll-any-nyc-mayoral-candidate-who-can-beat-zohran-mamdani?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Billionaire+Pledges+To+Bankroll+Any+NYC+Mayoral+Candidate+Who+Can+Beat+Zohran+Mamdani">panic</a> among many in the city and providing a fruitful target for the New York Representative.
Mamdani, a state assemblyman representing parts of Queens, has championed policies that alarm fiscal conservatives and moderate Democrats alike. His <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-top-five-craziest-policy-proposals-from-nyc-mayor-candidates?author=Catherine+Maxwell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Here+Are+The+Top+Five+Craziest+Policy+Proposals+From+NYC+Mayor+Candidates">platform</a> includes advocating for city-owned supermarkets, rent freezing measures, and significant reallocations of police funding to social services.
Stefanik would likely face incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul in the 2026 general election.
Hochul, who took office in 2021 following Andrew Cuomo&#8217;s resignation amid sexual harassment allegations, has faced criticism over her handling of crime and the state&#8217;s high cost of living, issues that could provide an opening for Republicans to make further inroads with New York voters.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul desperately tries to distance herself from the Defund the Police, raging antisemite Communist except Kathy refuses to denounce any of his insane Marxist policies. She OWNS this catastrophic candidate who will destroy NYC. 
Kathy Hochul… <a href="https://t.co/ifBXhTFEGx">https://t.co/ifBXhTFEGx</a>
&mdash; Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) <a href="https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik/status/1938308720230105133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Stefanik/Hochul

Elise Stefanik Set To Challenge Hochul For New York Governor

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) on Thursday grilled New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul during a hearing on sanctuary states over crimes committed by illegal aliens.
Stefanik, who is rumored to be eyeing a run for governor, first highlighted executive orders signed by Hochul that maintain New York as a sanctuary state, meaning the state will not cooperate with federal authorities on illegal immigration. Then, the Republican listed a series of heinous crimes committed by illegals, including the violent sexual assault of minors and one illegal immigrant burning a sleeping woman alive on the subway.
&#8220;Governor Hochul, on your first day in office, you signed Executive Order 1,&#8221; Stefanik said. &#8220;And you extended this executive order not once, not twice, but three times &#8212; most recently January 16 of this year.&#8221; 
The order, Stefanik read, was a continuation of sanctuary state policies. &#8220;It is the policy of the state that state officers or employees shall not disclose information to federal immigration authorities for the purpose of federal civil immigration enforcement,&#8221; she read. &#8220;It goes on to say, &#8216;Law enforcement officers may not use resources, equipment, or personnel for the purpose of detecting and apprehending any individual suspected or wanted for violating a civil immigration officer. Law enforcement officers have no authority in the state of New York to take any policy action solely because the person is an undocumented alien.&#8221; 
Hochul attempted to contend that the order actually says New York will cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
&#8220;No, it does not say that,&#8221; Stefanik shot back. &#8220;I read what it says, and let me talk to you about the results.&#8221; One illegal immigrant, she said, &#8220;found a 15-year-old girl, threatened her with a metal pole, told her to get into the back seat of his car. He took her clothes off, and he violently raped her in Albany, New York.&#8221; 
In another example, the governor said she was unfamiliar with the illegal immigrant Stefanik was talking about. &#8220;I bet you&#8217;re going to be familiar when I remind you,&#8221; Stefanik told Hochul. &#8220;He found a sleeping woman on the subway, lit her on fire, and burned her alive.&#8221;
&#8220;This is in Kathy Hochul&#8217;s New York,&#8221; the representative said. &#8220;And as I&#8217;m sure you are aware, and I&#8217;ll remind you: [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] issued an order to detain this violent criminal, but that was rejected by New York officials due to sanctuary state laws.&#8221;
Hochul responded by calling the crimes &#8220;horrific&#8221; and contending New York works with ICE.
&#8220;You did not in this case,&#8221; Stefanik responded. &#8220;They are walking on the streets because of your policies and your executive order that you signed three times.&#8221; 
Stefanik then outlined sexual assaults against minors, ages 11 and five. &#8220;You&#8217;re not advocating for these victims,&#8221; she said. &#8220;This is a five-year-old who was raped on Long Island in Nassau County.&#8221;
&#8220;You are not advocating on behalf of these victims,&#8221; Stefanik repeated. &#8220;You are shielding illegals. Even in your opening statement, you prioritize putting illegals first.&#8221; 
&#8220;Rapes of young girls, beatings of NYPD cops by illegals who are here under Kathy Hochul&#8217;s failed policies, burning New Yorkers alive,&#8221; Stefanik added. &#8220;This is Kathy Hochul&#8217;s New York.&#8221; 
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Complete exchange between <a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepStefanik</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/GovKathyHochul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovKathyHochul</a> at Sanctuary State Policies hearing.
Gov. Hochul: &#8220;These crimes are horrific, I condemn them.&#8221;
Rep. Stefanik: &#8220;Because of your sanctuary state policies!&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/yxbfZY5Bww">pic.twitter.com/yxbfZY5Bww</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1933182786908594235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote>

Stefanik Blasts NY Gov At Migrant Crime Hearing: ‘A 5-Year-Old…Was Raped!’

‘A 5YO Was Raped!’: Stefanik Unleashes On Hochul At Hearing On Sanctuary Policies 

illegal alien

Illegal Immigration

Sanctuary Cities

Accusations of media hypocrisy have erupted over similar hand gestures by tech billionaire Elon Musk and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ). Critics argue that the press unfairly targeted Musk while giving Booker a pass.
The debate stems from Musk extending out his right arm after placing his hand over his heart to the crowd during a Inauguration Day rally for President Donald Trump, which some labeled a &#8220;Nazi salute&#8221; and resulted in breathless news coverage, while Booker’s comparable wave at a recent California Democrats event has drawn far less scrutiny, prompting condemnation from conservative figures and commentators.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Spot The (D)ifference… <a href="https://t.co/aPlb173M8S">pic.twitter.com/aPlb173M8S</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1928992142153638308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) chastised the media’s coverage, <a href="https://x.com/EliseStefanik/status/1929154849456771199" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declaring</a> on X, “The mainstream media is totally corrupt. In January, Democrats and the Left were hyperventilating about this false smear of Elon and the stenographers in the media went to work.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The mainstream media is totally corrupt.
In January, Democrats and the Left were hyperventilating about this false smear of Elon and the stenographers in the media went to work.
It was the trending news story the morning of my Senate hearing in January and I was asked about… <a href="https://t.co/RiinalTvaV">https://t.co/RiinalTvaV</a>
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) <a href="https://twitter.com/EliseStefanik/status/1929154849456771199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The congresswoman recounted being pressed about Musk’s gesture during a Senate <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqz0ld48tC0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hearing</a> in January, calling it “a ridiculous question” from Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT).
&#8220;The American people are smart,&#8221; Stefanik added. &#8220;Neither Elon Musk or [Booker] are giving the Nazi salute. Americans see thru this obvious and destructive double standard by the totally broken media and Democrat Party.&#8221;
Conservative communicator Steve Guest echoed the sentiment.
&#8220;Will the media respond the same way to Cory Booker waving to the crowd as they did to Elon Musk waving to the crowd or was it all just performative nonsense when Elon did it?&#8221; Guest <a href="https://x.com/piersmorgan/status/1929258750637924631">asked</a>.
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British broadcaster Piers Morgan also sounded off.
&#8220;It’s most amusing to watch all the people who branded [Musk] a Nazi now tying themselves in tortured knots trying to explain why Cory Booker isn’t… for doing the EXACT SAME THING. Of course, neither is.. but the hypocrisy stinks,&#8221; Morgan <a href="https://x.com/piersmorgan/status/1929258750637924631">said</a>.
The X account Libs of TikTok, run by Chaya Raichik, called out specific news outlets.
One was MSNBC.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hi <a href="https://twitter.com/MSNBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MSNBC</a>, you reported on Elon’s hand gesture and compared him to a n*zi
I was looking for your article on Cory Booker’s salute but I couldn’t find it..
I’m sure you probably just missed this story by mistake…
Here’s the clip. I look forward to your report condemning him. <a href="https://t.co/gUXxi3ncdM">pic.twitter.com/gUXxi3ncdM</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1929214895809069166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
The Western Lensman account on X highlighted a post from PBS, which the Trump administration has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-defunds-npr-and-pbs-no-media-outlet-has-a-constitutional-right-to-taxpayer-subsidies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moved</a> to defund over the view that it is spreading &#8220;woke propaganda.&#8221; PBS has since <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/30/pbs-funding-donald-trump-lawsuit-00377585" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> a lawsuit.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hello, <a href="https://twitter.com/NewsHour?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NewsHour</a> — will you be making a post comparing Cory Booker’s apparent “fascist salute” to the “Sieg Heil?&#8221;
Your post about Elon Musk making a very similar gesture amassed over 36M views.
Since you assure US taxpayers that PBS is a non-partisan organization, and all. <a href="https://t.co/OPcwtD1Cjv">pic.twitter.com/OPcwtD1Cjv</a>
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1928990335188783197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Musk responded to several of the posts, criticizing the mainstream media.
In one, Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1929191362777231827" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;They are such hypocrites.&#8221; In another, he <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1929181905657700610" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;Legacy media is one big psy op.&#8221;
Booker&#8217;s team defended the senator, dismissing comparisons to Musk&#8217;s wave.
&#8220;Cory Booker was obviously just waving to the crowd. Anyone who claims his wave is the same as Elon Musk’s gesture is operating in bad faith. The differences between the two are obvious to anyone without an agenda,&#8221; Booker spokesperson Maya Krishna-Rogers <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/conservatives-drag-booker-nazi-salute-cali-dems-after-liberal-meltdown-musk-gestured-like-nazi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News.

Sen. Cory Booker

Hypocrisy Alert: Media Played Up ‘Nazi Salute’ Narrative Against Elon, Shrug At Cory Booker’s ‘Wave’

Cory Booker

Elon Musk

Media

Media Bias

U.S.

U.S. Senate

Republicans in the GOP-led House are struggling to reach an agreement for the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap being considered for President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;one big, beautiful bill.&#8221;
In the 389-page tax package <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill-gets-no-tax-on-tips-and-overtime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> on Monday, there was a provision to increase the SALT deduction cap to $30,000 for individuals earning $400,000 or less, up from the current $10,000 limit from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that is set to expire at the end of this year.
The House Ways and Means Committee advanced the tax measure in a 26-19 vote along party lines on Wednesday morning, but Republicans from high-tax blue states such as New York, New Jersey, and California are fighting for a higher ceiling.
After Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) posted on X a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-works-fry-cooker-at-mcdonalds-roasts-kamala-ive-now-worked-15-minutes-more-than-she-has" target="_blank" rel="noopener">photo</a> of Trump at McDonald&#8217;s and saying, &#8220;Thanks for playing, @WaysMeansCmte,&#8221; Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) <a href="https://x.com/lawler4ny/status/1922652928638173652" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a>, &#8220;You forgot to add SALT with those fries, Chairman.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You forgot to add SALT with those fries, Chairman. 🧂 🍟 <a href="https://t.co/QhGAUZjxla">https://t.co/QhGAUZjxla</a>
— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) <a href="https://twitter.com/lawler4ny/status/1922652928638173652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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GOP lawmakers who want a SALT deduction cap increase have star power in Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who is considering a run for New York governor after Trump pulled her nomination to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. She joined other New York Republicans for a May 8 statement that <a href="https://x.com/theblaze/status/1922021280120766600" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> a flat $30,000 SALT deduction cap would not get their support.
&#8220;[It] risks derailing President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill,&#8221; they said. &#8220;New Yorkers already send far more to Washington than we get back — unlike many so-called &#8216;low-tax&#8217; states that depend heavily on federal largesse. A higher SALT cap isn’t a luxury. It’s a matter of fairness. We reject this offer.&#8221;
Some House conservatives, who are focused on cutting how much the federal government spends and reining in a national debt that is approaching $37 trillion, have voiced reservations about the SALT deduction cap.
&#8220;The top Congressional districts taking advantage of SALT (State &amp; Local Tax) deductions (i.e., they have high state &amp; local taxes on high incomes. Mostly Dem, heavily CA, Swamp (MD, VA), &amp; NY,&#8221; Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) <a href="https://x.com/chiproytx/status/1917715364605223414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X last month. &#8220;In fairness, property taxes in TX are horrible, but we shouldn’t subsidize that either!&#8221;
Democrats are pushing in the opposite direction.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) <a href="https://x.com/hakeemjeffries/status/1920839627113480620" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> that he would rather not have a SALT deduction cap at all, as it was before the 2017 tax law, saying on X that Republicans &#8220;must now fully restore it or be completely exposed for their phony advocacy.&#8221;
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/14/us-news/house-lawmakers-debate-medicaid-reform-salt-deductions-caps-in-contentious-marathon-markup-sessions-for-trumps-big-beautiful-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) offered an amendment to increase the SALT deduction cap to $80,000 and pay for it by raising the tax rate on top earners from 37% to 39.6%, but that proposal was rejected by the Ways and Means Committee.
Trump himself seems to be on board with a change.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/17/trump-salt-tax-law.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Truth Social that he would &#8220;get SALT back.&#8221; CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/12/salt-deduction-trumps-tax-cuts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that after Trump began his second term, he told Fox News that he would &#8220;love to see something happen on SALT.&#8221;
Lawmakers will now have to negotiate a resolution before the tax package is added to other parts of the &#8220;one big, beautiful bill&#8221; and a final vote by the full House. Republicans have a <a href="https://pressgallery.house.gov/member-data/party-breakdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">220-213 majority</a>, meaning there can only be a few defectors for the bill to pass if all Democrats vote against it.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) reportedly <a href="https://x.com/thehill/status/1922650573746082114" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicted</a> that Republicans would need until the weekend to reach a deal on SALT. He&#8217;s been gunning to have the House finish up with the overall spending bill by Memorial Day.
&#8220;We have a delicate balance to maintain to get 218 votes on one of the largest and most comprehensive and complex pieces of legislation that&#8217;s ever been drafted by Congress,&#8221; Johnson said, per a <a href="https://x.com/mychaelschnell/status/1922654897213673641" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on X from a congressional journalist. &#8220;So yeah, my concern is always the vote total, but I&#8217;m very confident that we&#8217;ll be able to deliver that.&#8221;

President Trump

This Tax Deduction Cap Threatens To Derail Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’

California

Chip Roy

Donald Trump

New Jersey

Spending Bill

Taxes

U.S. House of Representatives

On Wednesday, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who has been the leader in Congress grilling university presidents about their failure to confront antisemitism on campus, took apart Haverford College President Wendy Raymond, who consistently evaded giving direct answers and referred to a cheat sheet she brought with her.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The president of Haverford showed up to a congressional hearing on antisemitism with flashcards of pre-written answers. 
Not convictions. Not moral clarity. 
Flashcards.
This is what higher ed leadership looks like now—scripted, spineless, and coached to the bone. <a href="https://t.co/WHb90uJv0h">https://t.co/WHb90uJv0h</a> <a href="https://t.co/hGbVOWmFXd">pic.twitter.com/hGbVOWmFXd</a>
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1920179928537985284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Stefanik asked about a statement from a student group on Haverford’s campus which called for the “complete dismantling of the apartheid settler colonial state of Israel by all means necessary,” asking, “What does ‘by all means necessary’ mean to you?&#8221;
Raymond answered with a quote from her cheat sheet, replying, “Invoking that kind of terminology is repugnant.”
When Stefanik asked if any disciplinary action was taken, there was a long pause before Raymond started to repeat, “Those kinds of statements are” — then looked at her notes.
“I’m not asking you if they’re repugnant; I’m asking about the disciplinary action,” Stefanik stated. “You were the one university president who failed to lay out if any disciplinary action has been taken, if any suspension or expulsions. So I am asking you: Was there any disciplinary action taken?”
“Disciplinary action can include expulsion and —,” Raymond began.
“I’m not asking what it can include; I’m asking, was it taken?” Stefanik pressed.
“I will not be talking about individual cases here,” Raymond dodged.
Stefanik asked about a professor who had said in the wake of the murderous Hamas massacre of more than 1200 people in Israel on October 7, 2023, “We should never have to apologize for celebrating these scenes of an imprisoned people breaking free from their chains. This was a historic moment to be recorded in your history books.”
“Jewish students have reported that you said, ‘This post could be perceived in many ways.’ Does this post simply depend on the context President Raymond, and were there any disciplinary actions taken against this professor?” Stefanik asked.
“Such posts have been incredibly harmful to our entire community and I disavow them and that outcome for us,” Raymond said.
When Stefanik asked if the professor had been investigated, Raymond dodged again, prompting Stefanik to assert, “This is a simple question. The other presidents are answering this straightforward as to disciplinary action; again, these university presidents, who are former presidents, failed to answer these direct questions. In this case, was there disciplinary action taken or an investigation of this professor?”
“Respectfully, representative, I will not be talking about individual cases,” Raymond said loftily.
“Respectfully, President of Haverford, many people have sat in this position who are no longer in their positions as presidents of universities for their failure to answer straightforward questions,” Stefanik fired back.
After further attempts by Raymond to evade giving direct answers, Stefanik concluded, “For the American people watching, you still don’t get it. Haverford still doesn’t get it. It’s a very different testimony than the other presidents who are here today who are coming with specifics. So again this is completely unacceptable and it’s why this committee has stepped in, because higher education has failed to address the scourge of antisemitism putting Jewish students at risk at Haverford and at other campuses across the country.”
Text of exchange below:
<blockquote>
Stefanik: Let me ask you a specific question. There was a student group on Haverford’s campus who called for the “complete dismantling of the apartheid settler colonial state of Israel by all means necessary.” What does “by all means necessary” mean to you?
Raymond: Invoking that kind of terminology is repugnant because of what it can mean and I will not  —
Stefanik: So does that depend on the context?
Raymond: I will not defend that statement.
Stefanik: So what disciplinary action was taken against that group or those individuals who made that call? Any disciplinary action? (long pause) Was there any disciplinary action taken against that group or those individuals?
Raymond: Those kinds of statements are (looks at her notes)
Stefanik: I’m not asking you if they’re repugnant; I’m asking about the disciplinary action. You were the one university president who failed to lay out if any disciplinary action has been taken, if any suspension or expulsions. So I am asking you: Was there any disciplinary action taken?
Raymond: Disciplinary action can include expulsion and —
Stefanik: I’m not asking what it can include; I’m asking, was it taken?
Raymond: I will not be talking about individual cases here and I’m saying that that is —
Stefanik: So have there been any actions taken by Haverford  related to antisemitism? Any?
Raymond: Disciplinary actions are absolutely in our work against antisemitism?
Stefanik: Have they been taken? Have they been taken by Haverford?
Raymond: Yes, there have been some.
Stefanik: I want to ask you another example. There was a professor of mathematics and statistics who posted after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, “We should never have to apologize for celebrating these scenes of an imprisoned people breaking free from their chains. This was a historic moment to be recorded in your history books.” Jewish students have reported that you said. “This post could be perceived in many ways.” Does this post simply depend on the context President Raymond, and were there any disciplinary actions taken against this professor?
Raymond: Such posts have been incredibly harmful to our entire community and I disavow them and that outcome for us.
Stefanik: Was there an investigation of the professor?
Raymond: Investigations happen in all such cases.
Stefanik: So yes in this case.
Raymond: Investigations happen in all such cases, as I have said, and we follow —
Stefanik: This is a simple question. The other presidents are answering this straightforward as to disciplinary action; again, these university presidents, who are former presidents, failed to answer these direct questions. In this case, was there disciplinary action taken or an investigation of this professor?
Raymond: Respectfully, representative I will not be talking about individual cases.
Stefanik: Respectfully, president of Haverford, many people have sat in this position who are no longer in their positions as presidents of universities for their failure to answer straightforward questions. Another question I have, because this is a theme at Haverford: There was an administrator who said that “racial minority students have never felt safe at Haverford” and that “Jewish perspective students should not expect to feel safe and should instead be brave.” This was according to litigation against your college. Was there any investigation into this administrator for making those statements?
Raymond: That report does not reflect administrators that I know, who stand strongly with me and the entire college against antisemitism.
Stefanik: So that didn’t happen is your position? Was that statement not made by that administrator?
Raymond: That statement does not comport with those administrators that I know.
Stefanik: I’m not asking if it comports with the administrators that you know. I’m saying, is it your testimony that statement did not happen even though it’s coming out in litigation? So are you saying it did not happen.
Raymond: What I am saying is that I cannot imagine that happening from those colleagues of mine.
Stefanik: Let me ask you: If it did happen, what disciplinary action would Haverford take against that administrator.
Raymond: We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment or bias.
Stefanik: And what does that mean, “not tolerate”? Does that mean suspension, firing of that individual, what does that mean?
Raymond: It means following all of our policies which begin with investigation and then can lead to any of the aspects that you listed.
Stefanik: For the American people watching, you still don’t get it. Haverford still doesn’t get it. It’s a very different testimony than the other presidents who are here today who are coming with specifics. So again this is completely unacceptable and it’s why this committee has stepped in, because higher education has failed to address the scourge of antisemitism putting Jewish students at risk at Haverford and at other campuses across the country.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH: I questioned Haverford College President Wendy Raymond on her failure of leadership and the scourge of Antisemitism within her institution during the <a href="https://twitter.com/EdWorkforceCmte?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EdWorkforceCmte</a> hearing. <a href="https://t.co/YKPbLPXBIV">pic.twitter.com/YKPbLPXBIV</a>
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepStefanik/status/1920139825417519322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Stefanik Grills University Prez Who Brings Cheat Sheet On Antisemitism

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