In a recent press conference, Democratic Congressman André Carson criticized his colleague Josh Gottheimer’s attack against his “no” vote on condemning Hamas as “cowardly.” However, Carson avoided directly addressing whether he agreed with the State Department’s designation of Hamas as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) back in 1997.
During the press conference, Carson was joined by House representatives Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ro Khanna, as they called for a cease-fire in Gaza. As he was leaving, a reporter from the Daily Caller News Foundation approached Carson with the question about Hamas’ designation.
When asked if he agreed with the State Department’s designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization, Carson responded, “Well, I certainly feel like now is the time for us to really talk about the establishment of a proper state for the people of Palestine. This cannot continue. These useless and destructive resolutions cannot continue to go on to gain political points. As I’ve said before, I condemn the attack on Oct. 7, but we cannot bully our way into this.”
Despite the reporter’s attempts to get a clear answer, Carson did not directly state whether he agreed or disagreed with the designation. The reporter reached out to Carson for clarification, but did not receive an immediate response.
Carson did mention that he agreed with the majority of the American people, emphasizing the need to condemn antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-blackness. He also expressed the importance of finding common ground, extracting truths from critiques, and working towards a workable solution, as he believed this issue might impact elections in 2024.
The controversy surrounding Carson’s avoidance of the question highlights the ongoing debate over Hamas and its classification as a terrorist organization. While some argue that the State Department’s designation is warranted due to Hamas’ history and actions, others believe that it is crucial to focus on finding a lasting solution for the people of Palestine.
It is important to note that this article does not provide the perspectives of Republicans or supporters of President Trump and Governor DeSantis, as the focus is on the response of the Democratic Congressman. Additionally, it does not touch upon the topics of Russia, RFK Jr., the war in Ukraine, big corporations, or big pharma, as they are not directly relevant to the subject matter discussed in the article.
