The Congressional Jewish Caucus on Tuesday sent a letter to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, demanding explanations for the continued employment of Kingsley Wilson, now serving as the Pentagon’s press secretary, following revelations of her social media postings peddling antisemitic conspiracy theories.

“These statements include promoting the antisemitic and racist ‘Great Replacement’ theory, praising far-right political movements using slogans tied to neo-Nazi groups, and repeating patently false statements commonly circulated in neo-Nazi circles about Leo Frank, a Jewish man who was lynched by an antisemitic mob in Georgia in 1915,” the legislators wrote in the letter, which was first reported by Jewish Insider.

According to the members of Congress, on four occasions Wilson had written “Ausländer Raus!,” a term associated with neo-Nazis and banned in Germany.

One August 17, 2024, post on X stated “Leo Frank raped & murdered a 13-year-old girl. He also tried to frame a Black man for his crime. The ADL turned off the comments because they want to gaslight you.”

Frank, a Jewish factory manager, was sentenced to death by hanging for the rumored rape and the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan in Atlanta in 1913. Phagan was found dead in the basement of the factory in which Frank worked.

The 31-year-old’s sentence was later commuted to life in prison. However, an armed mob, infuriated by the decision to downgrade the sentence, abducted Frank from his jail cell and lynched him.

Frank was officially pardoned in 1986, and historians largely believe that he was wrongly convicted. Historians also believe that Frank’s trial and subsequent conviction were compromised by antisemitism. During his court proceedings, thousands of spectators gathered and yelled chants such as “hang the Jew.”

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was founded following the lynching of Frank and regularly receives comparable attacks from neo-Nazis and other antisemites today.

In previous testimony before Congress regarding Wilson’s remarks, Hegseth had said he “would need to see precisely what’s being characterized.” He described the questioning as “a mischaracterization attempting to win political points.”

Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA) led the letter. Cosigners included Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Eugene Vindman (D-VA), Kim Schrier (D-WA), Mike Levin (D-CA), Becca Balint (D-VT), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL).

The congressmembers concluded with four questions for Hegseth, beginning with asking if he could “confirm whether or not the public comments made by Kingsley Wilson are permissible for a civilian employee serving in a senior, public-facing role within the department?”

The letter asked, “When a department employee has been confirmed to have made public statements of this nature, how has the department assessed whether those remarks are relevant or serious enough to warrant action?” It also inquired about “specific steps” taken in response to previous similar instances.

The legislators concluded by asking, “Do you, Secretary Hegseth, find these comments to be acceptable language for an official representing the Department of Defense?”

Following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks across southern Israel, Wilson expressed disinterest, writing that “the images of the babies murdered by Hamas are horrific. I wish images of aborted babies evoked a similar global outcry.” She embraced a conventional position long advocated by the non-interventionist, paleo-conservative right, saying the United States should not “get involved in foreign ethnic conflicts” and that the Israel-Hamas war was “none of our business.”

Wilson also made explicit her support for “the Great Replacement Theory,” the conspiracy theory which insists a cabal of Jews has plotted to replace white Americans with brown immigrants. She wrote, “The Great Replacement isn’t a right-wing conspiracy theory … it’s reality.”

This racist fantasy inspired convicted mass murder Robert Bowers to slaughter 11 Jews on Oct. 27, 2018, at the Tree of Life – Or L’Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh. Bowers currently sits on death row at the US Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.

In interviews with Jewish Insider, multiple Republican senators expressed their concerns with Wilson’s statements, including Republican Sens. Roger Wicker (MS), Rick Scott (FL), and James Lankford (OK).

Wicker confirmed he was looking into Wilson’s statements while Scott said “obviously I don’t agree with her comments. I trust the Pentagon will address this.”

Lankford called the remarks “weird stuff” and noted an ongoing pattern of defense hires with questionable positions on Israel or hateful statements. “So yes, I have some questions, and I think those are fair questions,” he said.

Wilson’s isolationist sentiments and promotion of antisemitic conspiracies reflect viewpoints in line with a wing of the so-called Make America Great Again movement which now finds itself at odds with President Donald Trump’s decision to drop three 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Far-right provocateur Candace Owens also began a series of antisemitic social media postings in August 2024 which included the promotion of conspiracy theories about Frank.

In response to the recent strikes on Iran, Owens appeared to take Iran’s side on X, writing to her 6.9 million followers on Tuesday that “Iran is alleging that they never violated the ceasefire. Israel has a LONGGGG history of faking ceasefire violations. Iran did not begin this war so no one should believe anything [Israel Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is alleging. He wants this war, badly.”

The post US Jewish Lawmakers Challenge Hegseth Over Pentagon Press Secretary’s Social Media Antisemitism first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

US President Donald Trump repudiated Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) on Monday, calling him a “pathetic loser” after the Kentucky Republican criticized Trump’s weekend strike on Iranian nuclear facilities as unconstitutional.

Massie, a libertarian‑leaning congressman and a staunch opponent of American intervention in foreign conflicts, joined Democratic colleagues Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) on the CBS program “Face the Nation” to denounce the strikes on Iran. Massie lambasted Trump’s decision to authorize the military actions as an unconstitutional abuse of presidential power, claiming that there was “no imminent threat” to the US.

In response, Trump took to Truth Social, labeling Massie “not MAGA,” referring to the Make America Great Again movement of his supporters. Trump also accused the lawmaker of routinely voting “NO” and supporting Iran’s nuclear ambitions while the regime chants “Death to America.” Trump slammed Massie for supposedly not supporting his agenda.

“Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky is not MAGA … Actually, MAGA doesn’t want him, doesn’t know him, and doesn’t respect him,” Trump said.

“Massie is weak, ineffective, and votes ‘NO’ on virtually everything … He is disrespectful to our great military — not even acknowledging their brilliance and bravery in yesterday’s attack, which was a total and complete WIN,” Trump added.

Trump urged Kentucky Republicans to refrain from voting for Massie’s reelection, arguing that the representative has not been an effective lawmaker or advocate for the conservative legislative agenda. Massie has been an outspoken critic of several of Trump’s policies, including his “Big, Beautiful Bill.”

“MAGA should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague! … GET THIS ‘BUM’ OUT OF OFFICE, ASAP!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The president continued, claiming that he would support a challenger to unseat the outspoken Kentucky representative.

“We will have a wonderful American Patriot running against him in the Republican Primary, and I’ll be out in Kentucky campaigning really hard.”

Close advisers of Trump have recently launched a new anti-Massie super PAC and are searching for the right candidate to challenge the incumbent representative, according to reporting by Axios.

Later on Sunday, Massie responded on X/Twitter that Trump “declared so much War on me today it should require an Act of Congress.”

Since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of Israel, Massie has been one of the few Republicans to consistently question US military and financial support for Israel. He opposed multiple House resolutions condemning Hamas and affirming Israel’s right to exist, labeling such measures as overly broad attempts to stifle speech. In late October 2023, Massie broke with his party by voting against a $14.3 billion aid package to Israel. During an appearance on the podcast of controversial political commentator Tucker Carlson, Massie criticized the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) — the foremost pro-Israel lobbying group in the US — accusing the organization of employing “AIPAC babysitters” to steer congressional votes.

The post Trump Says He’ll Back Republican Primary Challenger Against ‘Pathetic Loser’ and Israel Critic Thomas Massie first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Democratic socialist and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani was pressed on his views concerning Israel and combating antisemitism during a Monday night interview on “The Late Show” with host Stephen Colbert.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, another Democratic mayoral candidate, was also on the show and engaged in the discussion, which occurred one day before New York City voters cast ballots in the Democratic primary.

Colbert did not waste time getting to the heart of the matter, asking, “Does the State of Israel have the right to exist?” Lander affirmed that Israel does have such a right “as a Jewish and democratic state,” while Mamdani paused before saying, “Yes … like all nations, I believe it has a right to exist and a responsibility also to uphold international law.”

Colbert’s question was likely prompted by public backlash that Mamdani received for declining on multiple occasions in recent weeks to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.

Colbert then asked the candidates about mounting fears within the Jewish community over a record spike in antisemitism across the US following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. The host pressed Mamdani about his past remarks regarding Gaza and Israel, pointing out that many Jewish New Yorkers worry his leadership might increase antisemitism. 

New York City, which is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, has experienced a major spike in antisemitic incidents since Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, with police data showing Jews were targeted in the majority of hate crimes perpetrated in the city last year.

“These are not abstract statistics,” Mamdani said. “They’re lived experiences.”

He announced his proposal to boost anti-hate crime funding aimed at combating antisemitism by 800 percent through a reconstituted Department of Community Safety.

When Colbert asked directly, “And no justification for violence of any kind?” Mamdani replied, “No,” adding, “There’s no room for violence in this city, in this country, in this world.” The candidate added that disagreement over Israel’s policies shouldn’t equate to condoning violence.

Mamdani’s defense of the phrase “globalize the Intifada” has ignited backlash from Jewish organizations and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, which urged leaders to condemn its violent connotations.

In the closing stretch of the Democratic primary, Mamdani’s views on Israel and antisemitism have been increasingly scrutinized. Mamdani, a member of the far-left Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) organization, has made anti-Israel activism a cornerstone of his political career.

The progressive representative in the New York State Assembly has also sparked outrage after engaging in a series of provocative actions, such as appearing on the podcast of anti-Israel, pro-Hamas influencer Hasan Piker and vowing to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

During an event hosted by the UJA-Federation of New York last month, Mamdani also declined to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.

“I believe that Israel has a right to exist with equal rights for all,” Mamdani said in a carefully worded response when asked, sidestepping the issue of Israel’s existence specifically as a “Jewish state.”

Then during a New York City Democratic mayoral debate, he once again refused to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, sparking immediate backlash among the other candidates. 

In 2023, while speaking at a DSA convention in New York, Mamdani encouraged the audience to applaud for Palestinian American community activist Khader El-Yateem, saying “If you don’t clap for El-Yateem, you’re a Zionist.”

During that same speech, Mamdani touted his longstanding anti-Israel activism.

“I was somebody who began my journey in organizing and in politics by co-founding my school’s first Students for Justice in Palestine. The struggle for Palestinian liberation was at the core of my politics and continues to be,” Mamdani said.

Students for Justice in Palestine has been at the forefront of the wave of pro-Hamas demonstrations that have engulfed college campuses during the Gaza war.

The post Mamdani Grilled on Anti-Israel Views During ‘Late Show’ Appearance With Stephen Colbert first appeared on Algemeiner.com.