{"id":12939,"date":"2025-11-17T10:23:20","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T10:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/minnesota-governor-tim-walz-responds-after-fbi-fraud-probe-targets-housing-program-pss\/"},"modified":"2025-11-17T10:23:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T10:23:20","slug":"minnesota-governor-tim-walz-responds-after-fbi-fraud-probe-targets-housing-program-pss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/?p=12939","title":{"rendered":"Minnesota Governor Tim Walz Responds After FBI Fraud Probe Targets Housing Program pss"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Minnesota<\/p>\n

The\u00a0FBI executed search warrants at eight locations across the Twin Cities<\/strong>, targeting five service providers accused of billing Medicaid for services that were either not provided or grossly misrepresented. Authorities say the alleged schemes exploited a program meant to protect some of the state\u2019s most vulnerable residents.<\/p>\n

Governor Walz, who has been outspoken on the issue of fraud in Minnesota\u2019s social programs, stressed that his administration is working closely with federal authorities.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to commit these crimes in Minnesota, you are going to get caught,\u201d Walz said in an interview with WCCO last month.<\/p>\n

He added that new oversight mechanisms have been implemented, including the appointment of a new Inspector General and updated tools to detect Medicaid abuse. However, he admitted that the state still needs more advanced resources to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish we would have gotten a little more out of this legislative session,\u201d Walz noted. \u201cThere are AI tools out there that could help us detect fraud earlier and prevent it from happening in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Acting U.S. Attorney\u00a0Joe Thompson<\/strong>\u00a0confirmed that Minnesota is facing a\u00a0serious and systemic fraud problem<\/strong>, echoing concerns raised by his predecessor, Andrew Luger. Thompson said the generosity of Minnesota\u2019s safety-net programs can make them a target for abuse.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Housing Stabilization Services program has proven to be extremely vulnerable to fraud,\u201d Thompson said, emphasizing that investigators will continue to follow the evidence wherever it leads.<\/p>\n

The targeted locations reportedly included facilities in\u00a0<\/p>\n

St. Paul and Roseville<\/strong>, as well as other sites in the Twin Cities metro area. Officials have not yet named the providers under investigation, but court filings indicate a pattern of fraudulent billing practices that could have siphoned off millions in taxpayer dollars.<\/p>\n

Walz acknowledged that Minnesota\u2019s long-standing reputation as a\u00a0generous state<\/strong>\u00a0sometimes leaves it open to exploitation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure children get food and families have housing support,\u201d Walz said. \u201cBut good intentions don\u2019t protect us from bad actors. That\u2019s why we need to remain vigilant and ensure that every dollar goes to those who truly need help.\u201d<\/p>\n

The FBI has not announced any arrests yet, but sources familiar with the investigation say indictments could follow as prosecutors review the evidence gathered during the raids. If the fraud allegations are proven, those involved could face significant federal charges, including wire fraud and Medicaid fraud, both of which carry steep penalties.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Walz pledged that his administration will continue tightening oversight, investing in modern detection tools, and working with federal agencies to close loopholes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is about protecting the people who rely on these services,\u201d Walz said. \u201cWe will not tolerate anyone who tries to cheat the system at the expense of vulnerable Minnesotans.\u201d<\/p>\n

When\u00a0Nancy Pelosi<\/strong>\u00a0first entered Congress in 1987, she was a determined California Democrat with a reputation for discipline, drive, and an instinct for political strategy. Her financial disclosure forms listed a<\/p>\n

Thirty-seven years later, as Pelosi prepares to retire from Congress in\u00a0<\/p>\n

2027<\/strong>, her wealth has ballooned beyond imagination. Depending on which valuation you believe, it has grown anywhere from\u00a02,292% to more than 10,000%<\/strong>, with estimates ranging between\u00a0<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

Pelosi\u2019s financial success has become as much a part of her legacy as her political career. She is one of the most powerful legislators in modern American history \u2014 and, by many measures, one of the wealthiest.<\/p>\n

Her critics call it\u00a0the perfect example of Washington\u2019s problem<\/strong>: a political elite enriched by insider access, opaque markets, and soft corruption hidden behind legal loopholes. Her defenders call it\u00a0<\/p>\n

a familiar misunderstanding<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 the byproduct of a lifetime in public service combined with a husband\u2019s business acumen and smart investment strategy.<\/p>\n

But as Pelosi\u2019s time in Congress winds down, the question remains:\u00a0<\/p>\n

how did she become so rich \u2014 and what does her story say about the intersection of power and profit in American politics?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nancy Pelosi\u2019s rise in politics began not in Washington, but in the living room of a Baltimore rowhouse. Born into a family steeped in Democratic politics \u2014 her father was a New Deal congressman and three-term mayor of Baltimore \u2014 Pelosi learned the art of influence early.<\/p>\n

When she moved to San Francisco in the 1960s, her network grew to include some of the most prominent figures in California politics. By the time she won a special election to Congress in 1987, Pelosi was already seen as a formidable fundraiser and strategist with deep party ties.<\/p>\n

At that time, her financial disclosures listed a\u00a0minimum net worth of $2.7 million<\/strong>, according to a\u00a0Daily Caller News Foundation<\/strong>\u00a0review. The bulk of her family\u2019s wealth came from real estate, trust funds, and her husband\u00a0<\/p>\n

Paul Pelosi\u2019s investments<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Over the following three decades, both her political power and personal fortune expanded \u2014 each reinforcing the other.<\/p>\n

Today, Pelosi\u2019s fortune places her among\u00a0<\/p>\n

the top ten wealthiest members of Congress<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Her\u00a02024 financial disclosure<\/strong>\u00a0lists a\u00a0maximum estimated net worth<\/em>\u00a0of\u00a0$311.4 million<\/strong>, while independent analyses from\u00a0Quiver Quantitative<\/strong>\u00a0peg her family\u2019s total wealth at around\u00a0<\/p>\n

$278.7 million<\/strong>. Even by the most conservative calculations, she is worth over\u00a0$60 million<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 more than 20 times the median congressional figure.<\/p>\n

The core of that fortune lies in\u00a0<\/p>\n

stock trading<\/strong>, especially in\u00a0technology companies<\/strong>\u00a0that Pelosi and her husband invested in over the past 25 years.<\/p>\n

According to a DCNF analysis, her wealth increased\u00a0nearly twenty-three-fold since taking office<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

, far outpacing the performance of major market indices. In\u00a02024 alone<\/strong>, her investment portfolio reportedly grew\u00a0twice as fast as the S&P 500<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 a feat that would make even veteran Wall Street investors envious.<\/p>\n

Pelosi\u2019s critics have long accused her of benefiting from\u00a0insider knowledge<\/strong>\u00a0of government decisions and industry trends \u2014 claims she has consistently denied.<\/p>\n

Many of the most lucrative investments were executed by her husband,\u00a0<\/p>\n

Paul Pelosi<\/strong>, a venture capitalist and real estate investor. His trades often involved high-profile companies that, coincidentally or not, were deeply affected by legislation under congressional review.<\/p>\n

Among the most scrutinized examples:<\/p>\n

NVIDIA (2022):<\/strong>\u00a0Paul Pelosi purchased millions in stock options in the semiconductor giant shortly before a congressional vote on a bill to subsidize domestic chip manufacturing. The optics were terrible; the Pelosis later sold the shares at a loss after public backlash.<\/p>\n

Visa (2008):<\/strong>\u00a0During congressional debates over credit card regulations, Paul Pelosi participated in an initial public offering (IPO) of Visa stock \u2014 one that soon soared in value.<\/p>\n

Tech Investments:<\/strong>\u00a0The Pelosis have regularly traded shares in\u00a0Apple, Google (Alphabet), Microsoft, and Amazon<\/strong>, among others \u2014 all companies whose regulatory futures have been debated in committees Nancy Pelosi either chaired or influenced.<\/p>\n

The timing of such trades has fueled bipartisan outrage. \u201cYear after year, politicians somehow manage to outperform the market,<\/strong>\u201d said Senator\u00a0Josh Hawley (R-MO)<\/strong>, who has repeatedly pushed for a congressional stock-trading ban. \u201cWall Street and Big Tech work hand-in-hand with elected officials to enrich each other at the expense of the country.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n

Pelosi\u2019s office has repeatedly rejected allegations of unethical behavior. Her staff maintains that the Speaker\u00a0does not personally manage or direct any of her family\u2019s investments<\/strong>, and that her husband handles all trading decisions independently.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has no prior knowledge of or involvement in any transactions,\u201d a spokesperson said in a statement.<\/p>\n

The explanation is legally sound \u2014 under the\u00a0Stock Act of 2012<\/strong>, members of Congress must disclose their trades within 45 days but are not barred from owning or trading stocks. The law\u2019s intent was transparency, not prohibition.<\/p>\n

Still, the\u00a0perception problem<\/strong>\u00a0remains. Critics argue that even if Pelosi herself isn\u2019t trading, her proximity to policy decisions gives her family a\u00a0unique informational advantage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As ethics expert Kathleen Clark of Washington University puts it: \u201cEven if there\u2019s no direct wrongdoing, the appearance of conflict erodes trust. And trust is the foundation of public service.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ironically, Pelosi has become one of the most visible faces in the\u00a0movement to restrict congressional stock trading<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 a cause once championed largely by her critics.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0July 2024<\/strong>, she announced support for a bipartisan proposal that would ban members of Congress, presidents, vice presidents, and their immediate families from trading individual stocks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must have strong transparency, robust accountability, and tough enforcement,\u201d Pelosi said in a statement. \u201cThe American people deserve confidence that their elected leaders are serving the public interest \u2014 not their personal portfolios.\u201d<\/p>\n

That same day,\u00a0former President Donald Trump<\/strong>\u00a0publicly renewed his call for an investigation into her finances, calling the move \u201ctoo little, too late.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has inside information,\u201d Trump told\u00a0Breitbart News<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s not right. It\u2019s not appropriate. It shouldn\u2019t be. She should not be allowed to do that with the stocks. It\u2019s not fair to the rest of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pelosi\u2019s sudden endorsement of a trading ban surprised many observers. Only two years earlier, she had\u00a0defended the right of lawmakers to trade<\/strong>, arguing that \u201cwe are a free-market economy \u2014 they should be able to participate in that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shift reflects growing political pressure. According to a\u00a02024 Pew Research survey<\/strong>,\u00a076% of Americans \u2014 including 70% of Democrats and 83% of Republicans \u2014 support banning congressional stock trading<\/strong>\u00a0outright.<\/p>\n

Pelosi\u2019s fortune has become a flashpoint in the broader debate about\u00a0wealth and influence in Washington<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

To progressives, her success underscores the\u00a0gap between public service and working-class representation<\/strong>. To conservatives, it\u2019s proof of\u00a0systemic corruption<\/strong>\u00a0and a\u00a0rigged economy<\/strong>\u00a0that rewards political insiders.<\/p>\n

Even members of her own party have voiced discomfort. Senator\u00a0Jon Ossoff (D-GA)<\/strong>\u00a0proposed a bill in 2022 that would bar lawmakers and their families from trading individual stocks during their terms \u2014 a measure inspired, in part, by Pelosi\u2019s example.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Senator\u00a0Josh Hawley\u2019s \u201cBanning Insider Trading in Congress Act\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0goes even further, forcing violators to\u00a0return their profits to taxpayers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time to stop turning a blind eye to Washington profiteering,\u201d Hawley said in a statement. \u201cPublic office should be about service, not speculation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though neither bill has yet become law, the political momentum has shifted sharply. What was once a fringe ethics issue is now a mainstream talking point \u2014 one with bipartisan appeal.<\/p>\n

Financial analysts who track congressional trading have been struck by the\u00a0Pelosis\u2019 uncanny market timing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0Quiver Quantitative<\/strong>, a platform that monitors lawmakers\u2019 stock disclosures, the Pelosi portfolio has outperformed the market by an\u00a0average of 15% per year<\/strong>\u00a0over the past decade.<\/p>\n

In 2024, her holdings\u00a0nearly doubled the growth of the S&P 500<\/strong>, according to Daily Caller analysis \u2014 a performance few mutual funds or hedge funds could match.<\/p>\n

Some of her most profitable assets include:<\/p>\n

Real estate in California and Washington, D.C.,<\/strong>\u00a0valued in the tens of millions.<\/p>\n

Vineyard properties<\/strong>\u00a0in Napa County, part of the family\u2019s hospitality ventures.<\/p>\n

Stock holdings<\/strong>\u00a0across the tech and healthcare sectors, managed through trusts.<\/p>\n

Together, these assets place her wealth somewhere between\u00a0$60 million and $300 million<\/strong>, depending on how valuations are calculated.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an extraordinary rise for a career politician whose government salary, even at its peak as Speaker, never exceeded\u00a0$223,500 per year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Pelosi\u2019s story is not unique \u2014 it\u2019s just the most visible example of a systemic issue.<\/p>\n

According to an\u00a0Insider investigation<\/strong>, more than\u00a0half of all members of Congress<\/strong>\u00a0have reported trades in industries they directly oversee through committees or legislation. Many have dramatically outperformed market averages.<\/p>\n

In 2023, Senator\u00a0Tommy Tuberville<\/strong>\u00a0(R-AL), Representative\u00a0Dan Crenshaw<\/strong>\u00a0(R-TX), and Senator\u00a0Dianne Feinstein<\/strong>\u00a0(D-CA)** were all flagged for trades with potential conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n

But Pelosi stands apart for two reasons: her staggering returns \u2014 and her unmatched power. As the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House, twice over, she wielded influence across nearly every major industry in the country, from pharmaceuticals to defense to tech.<\/p>\n

That influence, whether or not it directly benefited her financially, places her under a microscope few others endure.<\/p>\n

For all her wealth, Pelosi continues to define herself through public service rather than profit. Her defenders point out that she has spent decades advancing progressive causes: healthcare reform, climate legislation, women\u2019s rights, and LGBTQ equality.<\/p>\n

They argue that her success \u2014 both political and financial \u2014 is the product of competence, not corruption.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s been demonized for being effective,\u201d said one Democratic strategist. \u201cWhen a man builds wealth while leading Congress, he\u2019s called smart. When Nancy does it, she\u2019s accused of insider trading.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, even Pelosi\u2019s allies concede that the optics are terrible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe perception problem is real,\u201d said ethics lawyer Richard Painter, a former White House counsel under George W. Bush. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s legal. If the public thinks members of Congress are profiting from the job, it undermines democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

No political figure has amplified the controversy more than\u00a0Donald Trump<\/strong>, who has used Pelosi\u2019s wealth as a symbol of what he calls\u00a0\u201cWashington\u2019s corruption machine.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cPelosi made millions while pretending to fight for the people,\u201d Trump told supporters at a rally in Michigan earlier this year. \u201cShe\u2019s not a public servant. She\u2019s a Wall Street investor with a government badge.\u201d<\/p>\n

His campaign has repeatedly highlighted Pelosi\u2019s stock gains in fundraising emails and social media posts, contrasting them with his administration\u2019s promise to \u201cdrain the swamp.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a potent message for voters already distrustful of Washington. A\u00a0Gallup poll<\/strong>\u00a0conducted in late 2024 found that only\u00a07% of Americans believe members of Congress prioritize the public interest over personal gain<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Pelosi, perhaps more than any other lawmaker, embodies both sides of that paradox \u2014 the powerful legislator who rose to historic prominence and the wealthy politician who personifies the very inequality she once decried.<\/p>\n

As she prepares to leave Congress in 2027, Pelosi\u2019s legacy remains both towering and divisive.<\/p>\n

She will be remembered as the first female Speaker of the House, a legislative tactician who shepherded landmark bills like the Affordable Care Act and managed to unify her party through turbulent political eras.<\/p>\n

But she will also leave behind a lingering question:\u00a0can wealth and power ever truly be separated in American politics?<\/strong><\/p>\n

For decades, Pelosi has defended her family\u2019s success as the fruit of \u201chard work, good judgment, and American capitalism.\u201d Yet as calls to ban congressional stock trading grow louder, even some of her colleagues now suggest that the system she thrived in must change.<\/p>\n

\u201cTransparency isn\u2019t enough anymore,\u201d said Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), one of the lead sponsors of the TRUST in Congress Act. \u201cWe need to rebuild faith. And that starts with removing the temptation altogether.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pelosi\u2019s fortune tells a story larger than one family\u2019s success. It reflects an era in which\u00a0political access and economic opportunity have become intertwined<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 where lawmakers shape the markets even as they invest in them.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a story of ambition and achievement, of blurred lines and eroded trust. And it\u2019s a reminder that, in modern America,\u00a0wealth and power rarely move on separate tracks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As Pelosi steps off the congressional stage she dominated for nearly four decades, she leaves behind a legacy of contradictions: the trailblazing woman who shattered glass ceilings \u2014 and the millionaire politician whose fortune came to symbolize them.<\/p>\n

Her influence may soon fade from Capitol Hill, but the debate she inspired \u2014 over money, morality, and the meaning of public service \u2014 is only beginning.<\/p>\n

Washington, D.C.<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 It was the kind of hearing that stops even the most hardened political observers in their tracks. What began as a tense, procedural exchange erupted into one of the most shocking confrontations in recent congressional memory \u2014 Representative\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seth Magaziner<\/strong>\u00a0leveling devastating accusations against\u00a0DHS Secretary Kristi Noem<\/strong>\u00a0over one of the most disturbing deportation cases ever revealed: the removal of a\u00a04-year-old American citizen battling cancer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The moment wasn\u2019t just political theater. It was a collision of outrage, human suffering, and raw accountability \u2014 and it\u2019s already being called the clip that will haunt DHS for years.<\/p>\n

Magaziner didn\u2019t waste time with niceties. Within the first minute, he told the story flat out:<\/p>\n

\u201cMadam Secretary, your department deported a four-year-old boy. An American citizen. A child fighting cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hearing room went silent. The details only made it worse. According to testimony, the boy was removed alongside his siblings and mother \u2014 despite the mother allegedly never consenting to their deportation. Even more damning, the family reportedly had\u00a0<\/p>\n

no legal representation<\/strong>\u00a0and no chance to appeal.<\/p>\n

That revelation triggered a cascade of questions:<\/p>\n

Why was ICE\u2019s own directive ignored?<\/strong>\u00a0Policy Directive 11064 requires parents be allowed to arrange care for their children before deportation.<\/p>\n

Why was due process shredded?<\/strong>\u00a0A Supreme Court ruling just months earlier mandated hearings before removal \u2014 yet this child, and others, were deported without them.<\/p>\n

What justification could possibly exist?<\/strong><\/p>\n

For Magaziner, the answer was clear: there wasn\u2019t one.<\/p>\n

While the sick child\u2019s case was the emotional centerpiece, Magaziner didn\u2019t stop there. He outlined a\u00a0<\/p>\n

pattern of deportations<\/strong>\u00a0under Noem\u2019s DHS leadership that, he argued, revealed systemic failures and outright violations of law.<\/p>\n

into the exchange, he turned to the case of\u00a0Andre Hernandez Romero<\/strong><\/p>\n

, an asylum seeker who fled brutal gang violence in El Salvador. Instead of a fair hearing, Andre was detained and deported \u2014 allegedly on the basis of little more than \u201csuspected gang tattoos.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTattoos are not evidence of a crime,\u201d Magaziner thundered. \u201cAnd they certainly aren\u2019t a legal justification to deport a man fleeing for his life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Romero\u2019s deportation, like the child\u2019s, took place\u00a0<\/p>\n

without proper hearings<\/strong>, in direct contradiction of the Supreme Court\u2019s April 7th ruling. For Magaziner, it was proof that the department had decided court orders were optional.<\/p>\n

\u00a0the congressman\u2019s fury reached a boil. He rattled off case after case \u2014 stories that sounded less like isolated mistakes and more like a systemic policy of cruelty:<\/p>\n

A gay asylum seeker from Venezuela<\/strong><\/p>\n

Legal immigrants and green card holders<\/strong>, wrongfully targeted and deported despite evidence of lawful status.<\/p>\n

Children with medical conditions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each story landed like a body blow, exposing what Magaziner called \u201ca DHS that has abandoned both humanity and legality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are not nameless, faceless numbers,\u201d he declared. \u201cThese are children. These are families. These are human beings whose lives are being gambled with because this department refuses to follow its own rules.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Secretary Noem, the hearing was a disaster. Her usual tough, unflappable demeanor cracked under the weight of the accusations. When pressed, she fell back on familiar talking points about \u201cborder security\u201d and \u201cenforcing the law\u201d \u2014 but Magaziner wasn\u2019t having it.<\/p>\n

He interrupted sharply:<\/p>\n

\u201cEnforcing the law doesn\u2019t mean breaking it. Following policy doesn\u2019t mean ignoring the Supreme Court. And protecting America does not mean deporting American citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n

The quote lit up social media within minutes. Clips circulated on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, racking up millions of views in hours. Hashtags like\u00a0<\/p>\n

#NoemExposed<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0#DeportedChild<\/strong>\u00a0began trending as outrage poured in.<\/p>\n

For all the political fireworks, the substance of Magaziner\u2019s confrontation revealed deeper problems \u2014 problems that could shake DHS to its core:<\/p>\n

Policy Violations<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 ICE policies explicitly forbid deporting children without parental consent or care arrangements. Those policies were ignored.<\/p>\n

Defiance of Court Orders<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Deporting individuals without hearings is a direct violation of a recent Supreme Court ruling.<\/p>\n

Lack of Oversight<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 No accountability mechanisms seem to exist when DHS officials flout their own rules.<\/p>\n

Humanitarian Failures<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Deporting vulnerable individuals \u2014 cancer patients, asylum seekers, LGBTQ+ refugees \u2014 undermines both U.S. law and international human rights norms.<\/p>\n

Magaziner framed the issue not as a partisan fight, but as a matter of\u00a0basic American values<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we cannot protect a child with cancer, then what exactly are we protecting?\u201d<\/p>\n

As the hearing wrapped, the damage to DHS and Noem\u2019s credibility was unmistakable. Commentators across the spectrum \u2014 even some conservative voices \u2014 admitted the revelations were deeply troubling.<\/p>\n

Cable news replayed the clip on loop. Editorial boards called for investigations. Advocacy groups demanded resignations. And on Capitol Hill, whispers of a potential congressional inquiry grew louder.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Magaziner\u2019s star rose overnight. Once considered a lower-profile Democrat, he emerged as a new face of accountability, praised for his sharp questioning and moral clarity.<\/p>\n

Washington is no stranger to heated hearings, but this one hit differently. It wasn\u2019t about budget numbers or bureaucratic turf wars. It was about a\u00a0four-year-old American child with cancer<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0who should never have been deported.<\/p>\n

And the official in the hot seat was\u00a0Kristi Noem<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 a rising conservative figure many once saw as a future national contender. Instead, she left the hearing humiliated, her judgment questioned, and her department under fire.<\/p>\n

The viral clip of Magaziner\u2019s fiery words may come to define not just her tenure, but the broader debate over what America\u2019s immigration system stands for \u2014 and who it stands against.<\/p>\n

In the end, the congressman\u2019s final words may be the most enduring:<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerica does not deport children with cancer. Not in my country. Not in my Congress. Not on my watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hearing adjourned. The cameras stopped. But the outrage \u2014 and the questions \u2014 are only beginning.<\/p>\n

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani delivered a fiery victory speech late Tuesday, promising to deliver on his progressive agenda and declaring his election a historic mandate for change.<\/p>\n

Mamdani, 34, who will become New York City\u2019s first socialist, first Muslim, and first mayor of South Asian descent, claimed victory at Brooklyn\u2019s Paramount Theatre, The New York Post\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n

The Uganda-born lawmaker said his win belonged to all immigrant New Yorkers and condemned Islamophobic attacks on his campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Eugene Debs once said, I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity,\u201d Mamdani said, quoting the early 20th-century socialist presidential candidate.<\/p>\n

He also invoked the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, India\u2019s first prime minister, saying, \u201cA moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new.\u201d<\/p>\n

Raised on Manhattan\u2019s Upper West Side, Mamdani thanked working-class New Yorkers who powered his campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cFingers bruised from lifting boxes on the warehouse floor, palms calloused from delivery bike handlebars, knuckles scarred with kitchen burns \u2014 these are not hands that have been allowed to hold power,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd yet, over the last 12 months, you have dared to reach for something greater. Tonight, against all odds, we have grasped it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mamdani\u2019s remarks mixed gratitude with defiance, targeting President Trump and former Governor Andrew Cuomo while promising sweeping reforms.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics,\u201d Mamdani said. \u201cWe won because we insisted that no longer would politics be something that is done to us. Now, it is something that we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mamdani vowed to pursue his campaign proposals, including freezing rent for two million residents in regulated apartments, creating free citywide bus service, providing universal child care, and launching a Department of Community Safety to handle mental health calls instead of the NYPD.<\/p>\n

He said the policies would help working-class and marginalized New Yorkers struggling with the cost of living.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will be an age where New Yorkers expect from their leaders a bold vision of what we will achieve rather than a list of excuses for we are too timid to achieve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light,\u201d Mamdani added.<\/p>\n

He declared that his victory marked the end of an era dominated by establishment figures.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy friends, we have toppled a political dynasty,\u201d Mamdani said to cheers. \u201cI wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life. But let tonight be the final time I utter his name as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few.\u201d<\/p>\n

Citing former Governor Mario Cuomo\u2019s famous line, Mamdani said, \u201cYou campaign in poetry, you govern in prose.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we enter City Hall in 58 days, expectations will be high. We will meet them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mamdani closed by promising tangible results for ordinary New Yorkers.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew York, this power, it\u2019s yours,\u201d he said. \u201cThis city belongs to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

“I think that there is a need for a new generation of leadership,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Zohran Mamdani, the\u00a0presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor of\u00a0New York City, told ABC News in a wide-ranging interview aired Wednesday that he plans to win over moderate voters — even as a self-identified Democratic socialist — as he runs in the general election.<\/p>\n

He said he also believes the Democratic Party needs to refocus on what working-class Americans are going through.<\/p>\n

“I think that the Democratic Party must always remember what made so many proud to be Democrats, which is a focus on the struggles of working class Americans across this country,” Mamdani told ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott.<\/p>\n

“And I think that there is a need for a new generation of leadership,” he added.<\/p>\n

The 33-year-old State Assembly member, who\u00a0campaigned on a progressive economic platform, declared victory over former Gov.\u00a0Andrew Cuomo as results in Tuesday’s closely watched primary rolled in.<\/p>\n

Asked how he’d respond to voters who are nervous about his age and relative inexperience, Mamdani pointed to his campaign fundraising and sheer number of volunteers, as well as meetings he said he’s had with deputy mayors and commissioners from many mayoral administrations, “all as part of my commitment to building a team that is united, not by ideology, not by past relationship or knowledge, but frankly, by excellence.”<\/p>\n

Mamdani also spoke with Scott about addressing concerns from Democrats about the “Democratic socialist” label, when he would be open to collaborating with President\u00a0Donald Trump\u00a0and reaching out to Jewish New Yorkers.<\/p>\n

Mamdani has proudly identified as a Democratic socialist — a label that some Democrats have expressed concerns about, especially as some Republicans have seized on the label to claim that all Democrats are socialists or far-left.<\/p>\n

“What do you say to those Democrats who have concerns about that term, Democratic socialist, that you so proudly claim you are?” Scott asked.<\/p>\n

“I would say that I hear them, because there’s room to have disagreement and tension in any one party. And for too long, we’ve thought of politics as an act of purity, where you only work with those that you agree with on every issue\u2026 And there are going to be many Democrats, both here in this city and across the country, who have a different lens of what it is that they see us needing in this moment,” Mamdani said.<\/p>\n

“But ultimately, we agree on the importance of addressing affordability, and that’s at the core of our campaign.”<\/p>\n

How would he win back voters who may think the policies Mamdani ran on are too far to the left of where they think the Democratic Party should be?<\/p>\n

“I would tell them to look at the results of last night,” he said, referring to the primary on Tuesday. He called the results a “clear reflection of a mandate to make this city affordable” and one that showed Democrats united in support of his economic proposals.<\/p>\n

“And it shows that for a long time, what we’ve heard in terms of the analysis of this city and its politics is actually out of step with where people are.”<\/p>\n

He added later that he hopes to win the support of people who would otherwise vote for incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who he criticized as “the original architect of this affordability crisis over the last few years.”<\/p>\n

As to why voters should support him over Adams, he said, “I’m someone who will make the city more affordable, and because what we’ve seen is that this present has been delivered to us by the policies and the politics and even the politicians of the past. It’s time for a new generation of leadership. It’s time for a politics of the future.”<\/p>\n

Adams, speaking on Fox News on Wednesday, criticized Mamdani as a “snake oil salesman,” saying, “I delivered for the city and we’re not going backwards.”<\/p>\n

When asked about\u00a0comments from President Donald Trump on social media calling him a “Communist Lunatic,” Mamdani shrugged off the epithet, saying he’d encourage Trump to learn about his policies, and that he’d work with Trump on affordability but would resist the president’s deportation plans.<\/p>\n

“The next mayor of New York City will have to work with the Trump administration. Are you willing to do that? Will you do that?” Scott asked.<\/p>\n

“I will work with the Trump administration when it is to the benefit of New Yorkers,” Mamdani said. “My approach will never be reflexive, whether in agreement or opposition, but if it comes at the expense of the New Yorkers that I’m running to serve, then, no, I will not be working with the administration on harming the people that I look to represent.”<\/p>\n

Asked by Scott how he’d manage that relationship, Mamdani reiterated wanting to collaborate with Trump on lowering the price of groceries \u2013 pointing to his campaign plan to open “a network of municipal-owned stores” \u2013 but also reiterated not wanting to assist the president with immigrant detentions.<\/p>\n

Mamdani has faced some pushback, given New York’s large Jewish population, over his history of comments and activism opposing Israel, including his criticism of Israel over the war in Gaza. In response, he has emphasized policies to combat antisemitism and said that he wants to focus on city issues. When asked in an interview with ABC News’ New York station WABC on Wednesday whether he supports the concept of Israel as a Jewish state, Mamdani said: “I’ve said time and again that I support Israel’s right to exist as a state with equal rights for all, and ultimately, my focus is on the five boroughs of the city.”<\/p>\n

In her interview, Scott asked Mamdani, “How do you gain the trust of Jewish voters in New York City?”<\/p>\n

Mamdani brought up his campaign plan to increase funding for anti-hate crime programming, but acknowledged a divide between his views on Israel and those of many in the Jewish community.<\/p>\n

“Ultimately, my comments have been on critiques of the Israeli government’s policies, and I know that there are many New Yorkers who may disagree with me on those same critiques,” Mamdani said. “And yet that disagreement is still rooted in the shared sense of humanity.”<\/p>\n

As for his strategy to reach out to Jewish voters, Mamdani said he was ready to “to introduce myself again and again” to every New Yorker, including Jewish New Yorkers, given the low name recognition he started out with in the race.<\/p>\n

ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to add Mamdani’s position on the State of Israel.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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