‘Not Trying to Exaggerate’: John Yoo Calls for Trump DOJ Probe into Zohran Mamdani Over Netanyahu Arrest Threat

Conservative legal analyst John Yoo told Fox News on Monday that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s (D) calls to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu should result in the Trump Justice Department investigating the mayor.

“I mean, sounds like an open-and-shut case to me. What about you, John?” asked anchor Gillian Turner after playing a clip of Mamdani doubling down on why his office is looking at arresting Netanyahu.

“I think the mayor needs to read the Constitution and the laws of the United States first before he starts throwing out baseless accusations of genocide and violating international law. Putting that aside, I think personally that Israel has every right to defend itself and has been doing so consistent with the laws of war. But this is a question of the sovereignty of the United States, which the mayor apparently does not believe in,” replied Yoo, adding:

First, the United States and Israel are not signatories to the ICC, so they’re not bound by it. Second, under our Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court repeatedly, states and cities cannot interfere with the federal government’s — Washington, D.C.’s — control over foreign policy. And on this score, I have to bring in my own personal experience. After the 9/11 attacks, the Bush administration — and I was an official of the Justice Department — we participated with Congress to pass a law that prohibits any official in the United States from cooperating with the ICC.

So what Mayor Mamdani is calling for is for the officials of New York City, including himself, to violate federal law. So in the end, it’s not that Netanyahu should be arrested and investigated — I’m not trying to exaggerate here — the mayor is violating the American Servicemembers’ Protection Act, passed in 2002, and the Justice Department should be investigating him. And the president, under that law, is authorized to use all necessary means to prevent any American or ally from being handed over to that court. So if Mayor Mamdani wants to spend a lot of time dealing with FBI agents and Justice Department investigators, well, he just started that — he just launched that whole process for himself and the residents of New York City.

“But he’s a savvy guy, right? You don’t get elected mayor of the biggest city in the world if you’re a dummy. So why? What is this — just some kind of political catcall for him?” Turner followed up.

“Yeah, I don’t know if I can add more than what you’ve heard from other political analysts and guests who’ve said that Mayor Mamdani is appealing to this large, sort of socialist-friendly base of young people in New York City who are becoming, I’m afraid, increasingly anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. But the question is, is he acting consistent with the law of the United States? And he is not. And he should be investigated by the Justice Department, by the Trump administration, because of that,” Yoo replied.

“President Trump, weighing in on Truth Social just a moment ago, writes: ‘Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested in any way, shape, or form while in the United States of America.’ So there’s that,’” Turner added before moving on.

Watch the clip above via Fox News.

Jason Cohen contributed to this report. 

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