CNN Panel Hammers Guest Over Baseless Claim Detained Columbia Protestor Was Funded by Hamas: ‘What Evidence Do You Have?’
The panel on Monday night’s edition of CNN’s NewsNight with Abby Phillip grilled a Republican official over his baseless claim that a detained Columbia University protestor was paid by Hamas.
On Saturday, ICE agents entered the apartment of 30-year-old Mahmoud Khalil — a graduate student who was one of the lead negotiators for the student-led pro-Palestinian protests on campus. The students demanded that the university divest from companies funding the war in Gaza.
Agents initially told him they were revoking his student visa and detaining him; but when his lawyer — who was phoned during the arrest — told agents he was in the country legally on a green card, they said they were revoking that, too.
The Department of Homeland Security later released a statement claiming Khalil “led activities aligned to Hamas,” but did not elaborate on those activities or provide additional evidence to support that claim.
On social media, Trump said the arrest was the “first of many” as part of his directive to crack down on “anti-American activity.”
Bruce Blakeman, the county executive for New York’s Nassau County, appeared on Monday’s episode of NewsNight to argue why the arrest was justified.
“He’s a virulent anti-Semite,” Blakeman told Phillip. “He came here on a student visa. He’s paid by a terrorist organization that beheads babies.”
The last statement was with met with puzzled reactions by a few members of the panel, prompting both Ana Navarro and Van Lathan to ask if Blakeman had any evidence to support such a claim.
BLAKEMAN: I have evidence.
PHILLIP: So, I’m sorry, just to be clear: you’re alleging that he’s paid by who?
BLAKEMAN: He’s a paid protestor.
PHILLIP: By who?
BLAKEMAN: Well, I didn’t ask my intelligence division exactly who paid for him; but he’s being paid by–
PHILLIP: That’s a pretty explosive allegation. Who is he being paid by?
BLAKEMAN: Can I ask you a question.
PHILLIP: No, I just really wanna know.
NAVARRO: No, you said you had evidence. Who’s he being paid by?
BLAKEMAN: He’s being paid by organizations that are anti-American, that are engaged in nefarious activities. I don’t ask my intelligence division to give me–
NAVARRO: Then don’t come on national TV and say things–
BLAKEMAN: Do you know who he’s being paid by?
NAVARRO: I don’t, and I’m not alleging that he’s being paid!
BLAKEMAN: Are you OK with what he’s doing?
NAVARRO: I’m not alleging he’s being paid because I don’t know if he’s being paid!
BLAKEMAN: Are you OK with it? Are you OK with anti-Semitism? Are you OK with intimidating Jewish students?
NAVARRO: You are coming on nation TV–
BLAKEMAN: Are you OK with intimidating Jewish students? Are you OK with hate speech?
NAVARRO: –and you are using this platform to spread things — no, I’m not. Don’t make this about that.
BLAKEMAN: That’s exactly what it’s about!
NAVARRO: That you talk louder doesn’t mean anything. You are saying things on national TV that you cannot corroborate. That is irresponsible and you should not–
BLAKEMAN: Well, why don’t you ask the NYPD intelligence bureau?
As the back-and-forth between Navarro and Blakeman came to an end, Phillip asked Blakeman one final time if he knew “for a fact” that Khalil was being paid by another entity.
“I can state with a fact that he’s being paid — as the other professional protestors are being paid — by anti-American organizations that are engaged in nefarious activities,” Blakeman said. “That, I can confirm.”
When Phillip made it clear that no evidence supported that claim, Blakeman boldly said Khalil could sue him if he wanted.
At the time of writing, there was no reliable reporting that suggests Khalil was paid by Hamas. Photos of pamphlets from the “Hamas Media Office” were circulated on social media, but they drew no explicit connection to Khalil.
Watch above via CNN
