AIPAC claims victory. Adrian Boafo, a gay Black Democrat wins the seat occupied by Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD). The Pro Israel lobby continues to put a wedge between the party's establishment and the insurgent wing.
We slept on this one.
The establishment pick wins. The AIPAC backed Democratic candidates better not get comfortable with the status quo. Harry Dunn, the former U.S. Capitol police officer who survived the Jan. 6 attacks comes up short again.
AIPAC and the dark money came in like a vulture and picked the bones.
They relied on a crowd field to push through their choice.
We are dedicated to removing Pro Israel Democrats. Ritchie Torres, John Fetterman, Josh Gottheimer, Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer ain't shit and they'll never be shit.
Their days are numbered. They win this round, but 2028 is coming and they will be targets for defeat.
Adrian Boafo, a Maryland state delegate will be the nominee to replace Rep. Stony Hoyer (D-MD) who announced he will not seek reelection in 2026.
Boafo was then a campaign manager for Hoyer. He was endorsed by Hoyer, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and many of the Democratic Party's establishment wing.
Ironic, progressives didn't focus on stopping this guy.
Boafo has won the Democratic nomination in Maryland's 5th Congressional District, the Associated Press projects, prevailing in a crowded race to succeed retiring Rep. Steny Hoyer. The AP called the race at 9:28 pm.
Boafo is a state delegate from Bowie and Hoyer's endorsed choice. He's also backed by Gov. Wes Moore and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).
His bid drew more than $8 million in outside spending, including from a cryptocurrency-aligned super PAC — prompting rivals Dunn, Bareebe and Baker to jointly criticize the "dark money" supporting him.
His bid drew more than $8 million in outside spending, including from a cryptocurrency-aligned super PAC — prompting rivals Dunn, Bareebe and Baker to jointly criticize the "dark money" supporting him.
The 5th District seat came open after Hoyer — first elected in 1981 and a former House majority leader — announced he would not seek another term, ending one of the longest congressional tenures in Maryland history. Two dozen Democrats filed to replace him.
Boafo advances to the Nov. 3 general election and is favored in the Democratic-leaning district.
Warning to any candidate that continues to back Israel....
State assemblywoman Claire Valdez secures the Democratic nomination to replace Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY)
So how are you doing?
Claire Valdez, Brad Lander and Darializa Avila Chevalier were endorsed by New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani. They were vehemently opposed by KHive, Zionists and establishment Democrats.
It appears that Reps. Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) learned that their support for Israel doomed them. Soon, Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Haley Stevens (D-MI) are gonna find out too.
Israel and AIPAC are toxic to Democrats.
That idiot who accosted Chevalier and her mother by shouting "You hate the Jews" helped push the vote clearly in her favor. You cannot be worrying about Israel while living in New York City, the country's most expensive community.
All that smoke from several of KHive's most fiercest Kamala Harris supporters did not stop the momentum.
Michael Blake and Jose Vega were too polarizing. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) would have been defeated had the progressives lined up a candidate that no ties to Israel or LaRocheism.
But hey, three for three is the Mamdani effect. It helped Adam Hamawy win his nomination to become the U.S. House member from New Jersey.
It helped Katie Wilson win. First democratic socialist to win the mayor seat in Seattle, the largest city in Washington.
It helped Janeese Lewis George become the Democratic nominee for Washington, DC mayor. She is a democratic socialist.
Hasan Piker, a progressive agitator and streamer can claim victory once again.
Mamdani’s slate of fiery progressives swept establishment-backed Democrats in the state’s congressional primaries on Tuesday, ousting two sitting congressmen in a resounding show of force for the democratic socialist leader of America’s largest city, who is fighting to reshape the Democratic Party in New York and beyond.
Espaillat, who leads the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and is in his fifth term, was defeated by Mamdani’s most polarizing pick, Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist who once helped organize pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University.
Goldman, a two-term incumbent, was beaten by the Mamdani-backed former city Comptroller Brad Lander, a fixture among New York progressives who has often shown sympathy to the democratic socialist movement. And another Mamdani ally, democratic socialist state Assembly Member Claire Valdez, defeated the handpicked successor of retiring Velázquez.
Tuesday’s primaries represented a major political gamble for the 34-year-old mayor, whose strength is surging, and a potential headache for Democratic leaders, who fear that Mamdani and his loyalists may push the party too far left ahead of November’s midterm elections — when voters across the nation will decide which party controls Congress for the last two years of Trump’s final term.
The sweep also sends an undeniable message to establishment Democrats in Washington, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who campaigned against Mamdani’s candidates and lost. Mamdani and his slate were openly fighting for dramatic change on key issues, Israel’s war in Gaza and affordability chief among them.
The mayor ping ponged across the city to celebrate his allies’ victories, declaring that his election had helped ignite a new era.
“A year ago, it was not the end of a political movement. It was the beginning,” a smiling Mamdani charged at Valdez’s celebration party in Brooklyn, reflecting on his mayoral victory last year, as the crowd chanted, “DSA! DSA!”
Later, at Avila Chevalier’s celebration in Manhattan, he added: “We are showing there is a new path for politics in our city and in our country.”
In Washington, Jeffries downplayed the influence of the Mamdani-backed candidates before polls closed on Tuesday.
“We have agreed to strongly disagree,” Jeffries said of Mamdani on Capitol Hill. “There are 215 members of the House Democratic caucus. A handful of primaries that go in one direction or the other, in a given state or two, aren’t going to reshape who we are as House Democrats.”
Meanwhile, Democrat Jack Schlossberg, the 33-year-old grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, failed in his bid to write his own chapter in Camelot lore as he competed in a crowded field for a seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler. Mamdani made no endorsement in that hotly contested race.
Establishment Democrats celebrated the victory of state Assembly member Micah Lasher, a longtime government hand backed by Democratic leaders, who prevailed in a field that also included anti-Trump activist George Conway and assembly member Alex Bores, whose proposals to regulate artificial intelligence triggered tech industry blowback.
Mamdani’s insurgents sweep to victory
Mamdani, whose first six months in office have drawn praise from establishment Democrats and even President Donald Trump, had made a big push to promote the three congressional candidates who challenged Democrats supported by the party’s leadership.
Two of Mamdani’s congressional slate identify as democratic socialists, while Lander has allied himself with the movement in the past.
In his celebration speech on Tuesday, Lander vowed to abolish the federal bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, described Israel’s war in Gaza as “genocide” and referred to “Trump’s fascism.” He has been especially outspoken against Trump’s immigration crackdown and was acquitted earlier this month on charges related to a protest inside a building housing an immigration court.
All three of Mamdani’s candidates have promised to “abolish ICE,” condemned the “genocide” in Israel and vowed to “tax the rich” if elected.
Claire Valdez is the next generation.
Avila Chevalier, 32, was in her first race for political office in facing a longtime member of the House. Espaillat, 71, was the first Dominican American elected to Congress and has been representing his district in upper Manhattan and the Bronx for nearly a decade.
Avila Chevalier cast herself as an outsider. Espaillat’s allies called Avila Chevalier unfit for office, pointing out a history of inflammatory and profane social media posts when she was in her 20s.
Around an hour before polls closed, she was standing on a street corner in Harlem campaigning with controversial streamer Hasan Piker. Later, with Mamdani at her side at her Manhattan celebration, said slammed the “Democratic machine” for discounting her supporters.
“Today we make it clear -- the politics of the past ends today,” she said. “No longer will we accept a politics that throws scraps at us and acts as if we should be grateful for them.”
In East Harlem, 47-year-old voter Sara Hyler said she flip-flopped several times between Avila Chevalier and Espaillat in the lead up to Election Day, but eventually cast her ballot for Avila Chevalier after learning about heavy support for the incumbent by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
“It was the breaking point, my last straw,” she said of the donations to Espaillat by the lobbying group, also known as AIPAC.
Hyler said it was important to elect a new crop of progressive Democrats who aren’t beholden to AIPAC and the Israeli government. “As much as I support Israel, I don’t think we should be paying for them,” Hyler said.
The war in Gaza was a dividing line between Goldman and Lander, both of whom are Jewish. Lander assailed Goldman for not being tough enough on Israel over its military action against Palestinians. Goldman has consistently criticized Israel’s government and condemned settler violence but has stopped short of describing the conflict as a genocide, which Lander has done.
Mamdani had backed Valdez over Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, in the race to succeed Velazquez in a district covering parts of Brooklyn and Queens. Though Reynoso won Velazquez’s endorsement, he failed to earn the mayor’s backing.
A Trump acolyte triumphs in upstate New York
In northern New York state, a Trump acolyte with no previous political experience prevailed over a conservative state lawmaker in the Republican primary for a seat soon to be vacated by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik.
Anthony Constantino, head of the custom sticker company Sticker Mule, won the GOP nod in New York’s 21st Congressional District, overcoming New York state Assembly Member Robert Smullen for the nomination.
Constantino had showcased his enthusiasm for the president by putting a massive “Vote For Trump” sign atop one of his company buildings. He also released a hip-hop album titled “Thank You President Trump,” and commissioned a statue of Trump and gave it to the president in Florida. Trump has endorsed him.
Smullen, who had strong support from local Republicans, had argued that Constantino’s antics, which include regular bashing of the state GOP, make him unfit to serve in the House.
The road ends for controversial South Carolina lieutenant governor. Whomp, whomp.
Lieutenant Governor Pam Evette was endorsed by President Donald J. Trump. What happened?
He endorsed the other guy too. It kind of screwed her.
It appear the run off election did not favor her.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), I guess she got her revenge. She endorsed Alan Young, the South Carolina Attorney General. He ended up being the nominee.
Young is now likely to be the next governor. Republicans will likely keep the governor seat.
Trump has now fully endorsed Young despite his backing of Evette.
Wilson has won the Republican nomination for governor of South Carolina, NBC News projected Tuesday, after a closely watched runoff that featured President Donald Trump’s unusual double endorsement of two candidates.
Wilson is now heavily favored heading into the general election in South Carolina’s first open governor’s race since 2010. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster was term-limited and could not seek re-election. Democratic candidate Jermaine Johnson won his primary this month.
In the initial June 9 Republican primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette finished first with 29% of the votes, while Wilson placed second with 26%, with both advancing to the runoff.
Alan Wilson wins the runoff.
Trump had expressed support for Evette less than two weeks ahead of the initial primary.
However, he posted on Truth Social a few days before Tuesday’s runoff that he would now endorse both Wilson and Evette.
“These were the two that I was hoping would get into a Runoff, and they did. I can’t hurt one of them by only endorsing the other, so, therefore, I am going to endorse, for Governor of South Carolina, both Pam Evette and Alan Wilson! It’s a Wealth of Riches — With either one, you can’t go wrong,” he wrote.
Before Trump’s double endorsement, Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace (R-SC) endorsed Wilson after they finished third and fifth, respectively, in the first primary. Sen. Tim Scott(R-SC) also backed Wilson.
South Carolina has elected Republican governors in every election since 2002, when its last Democratic governor, Jim Hodges, was leaving office.
Before this race, Trump’s preferred candidates had faced challenges in several recent governor’s races.
In Iowa’s and Georgia’s campaigns for governor this month, the Trump-backed candidates lost in their primaries.
Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA), whom Trump endorsed, lost his Republican primary in Iowa to businessman Zach Lahn. After the race, Trump suggested he had not been fully familiar with the contest and remarked that “the other person was much more Trump” than Feenstra.
Then, in Georgia, political newcomer Rick Jackson, a billionaire businessman, defeated Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the race for governor.
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), once a promising figure who was a part of the Jan. 6 committee was defeated. The Democratic Party's support for Israel became his undoing.
This is a warning.
Don't get comfortable.
Goldman has lost his New York City primary to former City Comptroller Brad Lander, NBC News projects, following a battle that highlighted Democratic divisions over Israel and showcased the clout of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who backed Lander.
Lander won in New York’s 10th Congressional District amid a wave of challenges from Mamdani allies to sitting members of Congress as Mamdani looks to build on his momentum from last year’s election and further reshape the city’s politics.
Goldman is the fifth House incumbent to lose a primary so far in 2026, as a swath of voters express frustration with their party’s leaders.
Goldman had been seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party because of his high-profile role as lead counsel during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial. After he narrowly won a crowded primary in 2022, he has been a prominent voice fighting the Trump administration on issues like abortion and immigration. He also leaned on his personal wealth in the primary and touted endorsements from Gov. Kathy Hochul, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and key labor unions.
But his greatest vulnerability among Democratic voters in a district that pushes down into the rapidly gentrifying corners of Brooklyn was on the issue of Israel. Goldman, who is Jewish, is supported both by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a bipartisan group that has drawn the ire of progressives, and the more liberal group J Street, which also designated him an “approved” candidate.
Goldman sought to style himself as a progressive supporter of Israel, seeking to separate criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the war against Hamas in Gaza from calls to block military aid to the country.
You better not back Israel, Brad Lander.
Lander, who is also Jewish, has been far more critical of Israel’s government and its conduct in the war, which he calls a “genocide.” He has promised to co-sponsor legislation that would put new restrictions on American military aid to Israel and repeatedly sought to use Goldman’s support from AIPAC as a cudgel with Democratic voters who have become more critical of Israel in recent years.
Lander also got a significant boost from Mamdani, whom he made an important alliance with during his own unsuccessful bid for mayor, and won endorsements from national progressives like Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
He also framed himself as a dogged critic of the Trump administration’s deportation policies, regularly advocating for defendants in federal immigration court, where he was arrested last year after a high-profile altercation with federal officers. A judge found Lander not guilty of misdemeanor charges related to the episode this month.
And he leaned on his work on the City Council and as the city’s chief financial officer to argue that he will be ready to hit the ground running and capture the sense of urgency many Democrats feel in the fight against the Trump administration.
I've said it time after time. Words don't pay the bills. Words do not feed the families.
We warned you that this is not a joke.
Okay, do you believe the Democratic Party is about to ride the Blue Wave?
Do you believe that Democrats are motivated after seeing the results of President Donald J. Trump's return to power?
Will these No Kings protests be a turning point in American politics?
Are you going to vote "Blue No Matter Who?"
Well before I go into my rant, I want to say that if any Democratic operative reads this, I want to say thank you for getting an opportunity to read this. Maybe I can inspire a change in how the party runs things.
I give them a 47% chance winning the House and a 43% of winning the Senate.
So my honest opinion about the Democratic Party.
They are garbage. Trash. A total colossal cluster fuck.
And they can thank former president Joe Biden, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and the Democratic National Committee. A party trying to stay popular when their policies are never delivered. A party that continues to gaslight us about the opposition being in the pockets of the elite while doing the same. The party that calls out the opposition for being racial extremists but end up being racial extremists too.
We got a lot a work to do.
The Republican Party is becoming a bunch of big government nannies who want to push culture wars into federal laws. This overreach will generate backlash due to the hypocrisy they've carried as small government and freedom loving patriots.
First things first, the Democrats must focus on issues that matter to all Americans. The economy for one thing is a big issue. We are witnessing the potential for a catastrophic crash thanks to Trump's tariffs, his fly off the handle policies and this government shutdown.
If the Democrats are motivated to talk about how the policies of the past are not working, they better start talking now.
Capitalism isn't prospering for the middle class or the lower class. This trickle down economics is not benefiting the working class. The need to be honest about capitalism being a disaster has to be addressed.
The Democratic Party is still supportive of capitalism which is rooted in white supremacy, economic inequality and greed.
The policies the Republican Party are presenting are status quo. They are becoming the big government nannies they tagged the Democratic Party for years as.
Socialism, once a toxic word and a tag on almost every Democratic politician should no longer be a slur. It is time for Americans to understand that the oligarchy that led to wealth inequality is a product of capitalism. We need to equate capitalism to the rise in food prices, health costs, insurance premiums increasing and private equity firms destroying companies.
Israel, Israel, Israel..... When the party support for Israel is a mere 8%, why is the Democratic Party still trying to encourage their voters to support this country?
They're on their knees giving in to Israel and its minions.
As Israel continues to commit a genocide under the guise of a ceasefire, some Democrats and the influncers are calling out the progressive base for moving on from Gaza.
I haven't moved on from Israel. I am laser focused on ensuring Israel will fall. I am seeing the endless attacks on Zohran Mamdani, Graham Platner, Cori Bush, Katie Porter and even former vice president Kamala Harris.
Say all want, but Hasan Piker has proven to be a powerful force.
I get it Harris should face criticism for ignoring the concerns.
I voted for Harris for president. I have told family members that Israel will be a major factor. Trump's near assassination was a big factor. His mugshot too. He tapped into the grievances of the American people.
Democrats wasted too much time scaring voters. I get it. Trump is an essential threat to the country. I posted on this blog numerous times about it. But I also said that Biden's support for Israel and not focusing on the economy could hurt him come 2024.
White men cannot get the U.S. back on the right track. We seen how Trump and Biden led us into endless chaos within their terms. Trump has become the first 21st Century president to never achieve 50% in positive successes. Yet, we reelected him for a second term despite the dangers he posed in his first chaotic term.
The supporters of former vice president Kamala Harris are playing on this "We tried to warn you" nonsense. How can you morally stand on principles of being a progressive and back Israel?
First and foremost, Americans have a right to vote for whomever they chose.
Second, Harris failed to win over voters. She stuck with former president Joe Biden on the economy, Israel, Ukraine, immigration and inflation. The former president failed to listen to voters and his base.
The former president gave unilateral support and cover. We knew Trump would be worse. We demanded that Biden put pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel to stop killing and invading other countries.
The social media influencers who backed Harris ignored the progressive base and the calls for a ceasefire. They ignored the concerns about banning TikTok and calling everyone who opposes Israel a terrorist. They literally were on the "Vote Blue No Matter Who" mantra.
That shows the "tone deafness" within the party.
It is not Rep. Rashida Tlaib's (D-MI) fault for Biden and Harris' missteps. She warned them that Arab Americans did not like being ignored.
30% of Biden's 2020 base were disappointed with his stances on Israel. His iron clad support for that apartheid ethnostate harmed his reelection bid and hurt Harris when she took over after he dropped out. Somehow his stupid Catholic faith led him down this road to destruction. Not to mention the nearly $234 million in AIPAC funding.
Democratic establishment influncers are practically on these platforms saying that they ain't helping the former Biden/Harris voters who voted for as Trump.
That's perfectly fine.
It makes progressives more independent and it declines support for Democratic candidates.
MAGAland politicians are going crazy. They belive the No Kings protesters are not genuine. The protests are growing and it appears to be more inclined to white grievances about Trump not delivering on lowering the costs of living.
I voted for Harris for president. I have told family members that Israel will be a major factor. Trump's near assassination was a big factor. His mugshot too. He tapped into the grievances of the American people.
Democrats wasted too much time scaring voters. I get it. Trump is an essential threat to the country. I posted on this blog numerous times about it. But I also said that Biden's support for Israel and not focusing on the economy could hurt him come 2024.
If progressives need to divorce the Democrats, the time is now. I am not voting for the status quo.
I am going to vote for a candidate that focuses on issues that impact the growth of this flawed nation. Not distractions or words. Words do not pay the rent. They do not feed the families. They do not pay my bills. Words do not control the movement of policies.
No more slogans.
It's noise.
Folks, the Democrats must end the rules of engagement. They need to kick out the filth.
End their support of Israel, stop pandering to win votes, embrace embarrassments and stop trying to be friends with MAGAland.
Blue MAGA is a threat too. Because they are too cozy with religion, apartheid, income inequality and racism.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) has lost his primary to a challenger backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, NBC News projects, in a major victory for the progressive wing of the party.
Afro-Latina, Muslim and unapologetic. Congratulations Darializa Chevalier.
Community organizer and activist Darializa Avila Chevalier, a 32-year-old member of the Democratic Socialists of America, defeated Espaillat, 71, after casting him as an insufficient fighter for the working-class residents of the upper Manhattan district and out of step with Democratic primary voters on Israel policy.
“Where is our congressman when [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] is kidnapping his constituents? Why should we let Adriano Espaillat vote to spend billions on bombs overseas when we’re struggling to afford rent and groceries right here in New York City?” Avila Chevalier, who works at a public defender’s office, said in a video launching her campaign.
“We live in the richest country in the history of the world. It’s never been that our government lacks the resources to help us. It’s just that the establishment lacks the courage,” Avila Chevalier continued.
She had support on the airwaves from Justice Democrats, which backs progressives taking on Democratic incumbents. But she also faced an onslaught of attacks from groups backing Espaillat, including allies of the Hispanic Caucus, which Espaillat chairs. The attacks highlighted some highlighting her past social media posts, where she profanely criticized Democratic leaders, including calling former President Joe Biden a “rapist” and writing “F--- Kamala Harris.”
The posts, according to reports from the New York Post and CNN, also included comments that “Israel doesn’t exist,” that “a world without prisons or police” is needed, and that “all deportation is wrong.”
Avila Chevalier told NBC News earlier this month that now that she’s older she’s “understanding a little more how a lot of these systems function.”
“My values have always been my values,” she said. “But my understanding of how to approach the systems has grown.”
She also responded with a TV ad, saying, “The same billionaires that attacked Zohran Mamdani are now spending millions against me. They know that unlike Adriano Espaillat, I can’t be bought and I won’t back down to Trump.”
Avila Chevalier’s campaign in the 13th District had mostly flown under the radar both nationally and in New York City until Mamdani endorsed her last month, despite initially promising to back Espaillat. He stood by her following the revelation of those posts.
The congressman had endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in last year’s mayoral primary, but backed Mamdani after he won the nomination. Mamdani then privately promised to support Espaillat, a pledge first reported by The New York Times and Politico, and confirmed by one person familiar with the conversation, before he eventually reneged and backed his challenger. Mamdani’s campaign did not comment on any agreement.
Mamdani cast Avila Chevalier as the future of the Democratic Party, saying as he announced his endorsement on MS NOW that she will be “on the front lines” of showing that Democrats “have to be fighting for a vision that reckons with the fact that working people were not left behind just four years ago or 16 years ago. They were left behind a long time before that.”
“And it will take a new generation of leadership to ensure that the heartbeat of this party is once again the struggles of the working class,” Mamdani said.
Avila Chevalier is also a vocal critic of Israel, calling the country’s war against Hamas in Gaza a genocide. A Columbia University alumna, she participated in the pro-Palestinian protests at the university and was present during last year’s standoff with police at Hamilton Hall, which she described as “quite horrific.” She also attended a controversial pro-Palestinian rally the day after Hamas’ 2023 attacks in Israel — an event that Brad Lander, the former city comptroller also sporting Mamdani’s endorsement in his congressional bid, condemned.
Avila Chevalier has voiced support for legislation blocking certain arms sales to Israel, also known as the “Block the Bombs” bill. She has also called for abolishing ICE, Medicare for All and national tenant protections.
Espaillat, meanwhile, leaned into his experience pushing for affordable housing and immigrant rights. He was the first former undocumented immigrant, and the first Dominican American, elected to the House.
“I’m running on my record, a record of accomplishment, a record that has listened to people and that has brought back results to the community I represent,” he said during a Spectrum News NY1 debate.
Espaillat had support from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Gov. Kathy Hochul, state Attorney General Letitia James, City Council Speaker Julie Menin, the Congressional Black Caucus and the state AFL-CIO.
The race had turned negative in its final days, with Avila Chevalier, an Afro-Latina who is Muslim, accusing Espaillat and his supporters of racist attacks and “lies about my identity, my faith and my family.”
Avila Chevalier said in a video posted on social media that the congressman’s supporters have been “standing at poll sites in our district shouting lines and slinging racial slurs.” She said, “I have been hit with attacks that use Haitian as a slur” and that people have reached out to her family demanding to see her birth certificate.
Espaillat told The City Reporter, “I condemn — the campaign has been very aggressive. I ask for people to tone it down.”
If you are more concerned about words than actions, vote for the establishment. If want your lawmakers to continue to fund Israel, tell you that we don't have the money for ideas that improve working class Americans's life or you want to continue to just mind you business and not worry about the issues, vote for the establishment.
The Democratic Party is fighting within itself. The progressive wing is mounting a fierce challenge against longtime members who continue to push the status quo.
While Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Tom Suozi (D-NY), Laura Gillen (D-NY) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) will likely continue to be headaches within the Democratic Party, Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Adirano Espaillat (D-NY) are at serious risk of being defeated in their primaries.
Today is the New York primary.
This will decide whether Gov. Kathy Hochul gets a third term. This will also be a pushback against members who did not back New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani endorsed three candidates for the House. He endorsed Brad Lander, Clarke Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier.
AIPAC and the Democratic Party establishment are aggressively targeting these candidates.
Harlem: “Big Papi!” Washington Heights: “Big Papi!” The Bronx: “Big Papi!” Darializa: “Red Sox player.” 🇩🇴😂 https://t.co/ztpLchwW7y
— Anna Ommen🇮🇱🇺🇸✡️🕎✝️🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@OmmenAnna20273) June 22, 2026
Let's send this transplant back to wherever the fuck she came from.... your DSA people have spread so much hate that new york is not even the same anymore... https://t.co/M9wew864nt
Say NO to NY gentrifiers. Vote Jordan and Espaillat! “Mamdani’s involvement has already alienated black and Latino progressives, powerful labor unions and the left-leaning Working Families Party, all of which helped him get to City Hall and partnered with him as mayor.” https://t.co/EDqge9hKik
Disgusting, out of control, and feels like a legitimate paid agitator situation. Espaillat is running a despicable campaign, welcoming the dirtiest tactics deployed by dark money groups. https://t.co/BKUzHhbLFk
lots of young people feel apathy after they go out, protest, get arrested & vote every 4 years & their lives don’t change. no change takes place because these old relics keep winning their comfortable seats in primaries when no ones paying attention. all this investment is what… https://t.co/cXd0lZ3lgJ
How come no one is talking about this insane racist smear campaign being run against Darializa by Espaillat supporters (I’m sure he has nothing to do with it! 😏)
I guess racism against Haitians only matters when it’s Trump doing it. https://t.co/wq1WUQgwGy
— Marwa Nashashibi 🇵🇸 (@MarwaNasha99112) June 23, 2026
Of course AIPAC jumped in to save Espaillat. He's been one of their most reliable allies, even when it meant abandoning the people he was elected to represent. https://t.co/qLD9P7LdkZ
— Mahmoud Khalil | محمود خليل (@mahmoudkhalel) June 20, 2026
Activist Darializa Avila Chevalier is facing a smear campaign from Zionist, the establishment Democrats and the KHive.
Avila Chevalier is an Afro Latina and Muslim. She vehemently opposes American taxpayer money going to Israel. She withheld her vote to support former president Joe Biden and later former vice president Kamala Harris over their support for Israel as they were conducting a genocide in Gaza.
She wants to prioritize American affordability, housing, efficiently with New York services, affordable healthcare, ending ICE and opposing President Donald J. Trump's misuse of federal resources.
You don't hear much of this because the topics that I've heard on social media is mostly about her race and the allegations that she hates Jews.
Again that comes from the Zionists who are trying desperately to intimidate people of color.
On Sunday, Avila Chevalier and her mother were early voting when she was accosted by a small group of provocateurs.
Rusking Pimentel, who is currently on unpaid leave from Espaillat’s congressional office, accused Avila Chevalier, who identifies as Afro-Dominican and Muslim, of working with Mayor Zohran Mamdani to replace Dominicans in Washington Heights with Muslims and Haitians.
“Mamdani, who is also Muslim, his goal is to change the demography of Washington Heights, that Washington Heights no longer be a bastion of the Dominican community, that it rather become a bastion of the Haitian, Muslim community allied to him,” Pimentel said in Spanish on the “Entre Líneas” podcast.
“And for Darializa Chevalier, who is the candidate running against Adriano, Washington Heights cannot continue to be Dominican,” he added. “For them, Washington Heights must follow the same pattern in Brooklyn. That is because since Haitians are converting to Islam in high numbers, they must be moved to the Dominican district.”
In another interview, with the YouTube channel “Las Exclusivas de José Peguero,” Pimentel cast suspicions on Avila Chevalier’s Dominican identity. “She came from Florida, a young woman that identifies as an Afro-Latina, and she says that supposedly she has Dominican parents, and that now says she wants the opportunity to represent this community,” he said.
Avila Chevalier has been brigaded with anti-Haitian racism in the final weeks of the campaign, as anonymous Espaillat fans have also inundated Avila Chevalier’s social media posts with comments accusing her of being Haitian.
Former rapper Michael Tyler, 55 will officially be in a Louisiana iron college after he was convicted of another sexual abuse crime.
Formerly known as Mystikal, the sexual predator received multiple Grammy nominations in the early 2000s, will serve 20 years in prison for raping a woman at his Louisiana home in 2022.
Michael Lawrence Tyler pleaded guilty to third-degree rape in March with a sentencing cap of 20 years, five years less than the maximum punishment for the crime. His plea deal reduced the charge from first-degree rape, which carries an automatic life sentence.
Days before his Tuesday sentencing hearing, he asked a judge to withdraw his guilty plea, saying he “did not have sufficient opportunity to fully consider the consequences,” according to ABC affiliate WBRZ.
The victim spoke in court before sentencing and asked the judge to give Mystikal the maximum sentence, WBRZ reported. She reportedly said the rapper had punched her, choked her, pulled out her braids and forcibly raped her at his home in Prairieville, about 18 miles (29 kilometers) from Baton Rouge.
“If I did that to you, I deserve the max sentence,” he tearfully said in response, according to the local TV station.
A lawyer for the rapper did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mystikal has been held without bond at the Ascension Parish Jail since his arrest in 2022.
The Louisiana rapper rose to national recognition in the 1990s and is known for his 2000 hit “Shake Ya A(asterisk)(asterisk),” which was nominated for a Grammy in the best rap solo performance category.
In 2003, he pleaded guilty to sexual battery and was sentenced to six years in prison. That same year he was a Grammy nominee in two categories: best rap album for “Tarantula” and best male rap solo performance for his single “Bouncin’ Back (Bumpin’ Me Against The Wall).”
Mystikal was associated with No Limit Records. He signed to the label in 1995 and became a major success when he released Unpredictable and Ghetto Fabulous which went platinum.
He released his two final albums Let’s Get Ready and Tarantula before heading to the iron college for the 2003 conviction.
He ended up briefly signing to Cash Money/Rich Gang. He ended up leaving in 2016 and was an independent artist until his second conviction.
He and C-Murder will not see the light of day.
No Limit Records and Cash Money Records are launching a reunion tour. Master P, Silkk The Shocker, Mia X, Mac, KLC, Romeo will join Juvenile, Birdman, Mannie Fresh and B.G. on a New Orleans style rap tour.
Clive Davis, the man who made Whitney Houston an iconic pop star has passed away.
The music industry loses a legend. A controversial legend.
The man who gave us Whitney Houston, Alicia Keyes, Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana, Diddy and so many others has passed away.
Clive Davis, 94 the record company lawyer who became one of the music industry’s most powerful figures, launching or resurrecting the careers of such superstars has died. His family confirms it.
Davis died in his Manhattan apartment, weeks after being hospitalized for an upper respiratory issue, his publicist Aliza Rabinoff said.
“To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives. He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations,” the statement read.
Many artists mourned his passing on Monday. Carlos Santana called him “a visionary.” Michael Bublé said the music executive “believed in people and their dreams.” Patti Smith thanked Davis for a half century of “love and support.”
Unlike other record moguls whose influence waned as they got older, Davis’ might only seemed to grow, spanning multiple genres and labels. Into his later years, he was directing the careers of everyone from Barry Manilow to “American Idol” winners Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. And his exclusive pre-Grammys gala, held the Saturday night before the Sunday award show every year since 1975, continued to be an institution.
“Clive’s talent has always been seeing and hearing what other people don’t,” former President Barack Obama said in a video message played at this year’s gala.
A Brooklyn background
Clive Jay Davis was born on April 4, 1932 in Brooklyn, New York, where he grew up in the Crown Heights neighborhood. His father was an electrician and traveling salesman. He attended New York University and then Harvard Law School, eventually landing a job as an in-house lawyer at Columbia Records.
Davis always had a knack for business, and by 1967, became president of the company, just seven years after being hired as an attorney. He cited attending the Monterey International Pop Festival that year as pivotal; it eventually led him to bringing Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Neil Diamond and many other groups to the label — bringing a counterculture spirit to a company that had resisted rock ‘n’ roll.
Davis took big swings in the music industry, particularly in his support for Black artists, beginning when he signed Gamble and Huff’s Philadelphia International Records in 1971.
In 2015, the NAACP recognized Davis for his groundbreaking work by presenting him with the Vanguard Award. And last summer, Davis was presented with the Apollo Theater’s Apollo Legacy Award and inducted onto its Walk of Fame.
An unrivaled career
His success stories were staggering, with Houston a crowning achievement and devastating tragedy: Davis signed her to his Arista record label when she was just a teen and turned her into America’s reigning pop princess.
Houston racked up multiple No. 1 hits and became one of the top-selling artists in pop history before drug abuse hobbled her career. She died in a Beverly Hills hotel room in 2012, hours before she was to appear at Davis’ annual pre-Grammy Awards gala. He had been convinced she was turning her life around.
“Maybe I should have been more skeptical,” Davis wrote in his 2013 memoir, “The Soundtrack of My Life,” “but I’ve always been optimistic, and I felt hopeful. It felt like old times.”
He also launched the career of multiplatinum, multiple-Grammy winner Keys — and was quick to note other talents he signed, including Joplin and Billy Joel, Blood Sweat & Tears and other “all-timers,” as he so often put it.
“I signed Patti Smith, the great Renaissance woman ... I signed Lou Reed ... I signed the Grateful Dead,” he proudly touted in an interview with The Associated Press in 1999.
He also signed the then up-and-coming producer Sean “Diddy” Combs to a label deal with his Bad Boy Records. Under Davis, the label would have some of its biggest successes, most notably with late rap icon the Notorious B.I.G. That was long before the hip-hop mogul Diddy would be incarcerated, convicted of violating the federal Mann Act, which bans transporting people across state lines for any sexual crime.
An exec who built lifelong careers
Davis didn’t simply have an eye for new talent — he also knew how to keep veterans relevant, decades after their first hit. Aretha Franklin, whose legend was made at Atlantic Records, flourished in her later years at Arista, as did Luther Vandross, who made his last albums for another Davis label, J Records.
It was Davis who conceived of the 1999 album “Supernatural,” which paired guitar god Santana with some of the day’s hottest talents. The record won a record-tying eight Grammys and gave Santana more success than he had ever enjoyed in his decades-long career.
And he had middle-aged star Rod Stewart trade in his rock hits for standards from “The Great American Songbook.” The album, released in 2003, sold millions and was so successful it spawned four titles in all.
Davis didn’t always make the right choices; he turned down a chance to sign up Meat Loaf. And he and his collaborators didn’t always agree.
He and producer David Foster fought bitterly over the arrangement for Houston’s all-time hit, a cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” Davis won that fight — and the song was published with its iconic a cappella intro.
And Manilow strongly objected to recording “I Write the Songs,” noting that he didn’t even write the song, a Bruce Johnston ballad that became a signature hit for Manilow, who would have similar latter-day success mining the music of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
“He’s just brilliant at picking ideas he thinks the public will connect,” raved Manilow, who had worked with Davis since he was a budding singer at Columbia Records.
But not an infallible figure
Davis also had his struggles. Though he became president of Columbia Records in 1967 after joining the label in 1960 as a lawyer, by 1973 he was gone in a bitter fallout. The label accused him of mismanagement of funds and he was fired. Although Davis says he was later cleared, it wasn’t the end of his problems; he later was indicted on tax evasion charges, pleaded guilty to one count and had to pay a $10,000 fine.
However, Davis would declare victory: He says Columbia gave him the money to start Arista to resolve the dispute, and the label would become a huge success with artists like country superstars Brooks & Dunn, sassy R&B group TLC, Babyface, Houston, Franklin and others.
Legends don't die.
The label had huge success with a debut act — Milli Vanilli. But the male pop duo would become the embarrassment of the industry when, after winning a Grammy, it was revealed that they weren’t actually singing their songs (Davis blamed the debacle on the label’s European division, which he said signed them; the group was later stripped of its best new artist Grammy).
In 1999, as Arista was celebrating its 25th anniversary, Davis faced another crisis: The label’s then-parent company, BMG Entertainment, a division of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann, wanted him to retire; most of its executives were eased out by 60, and Davis was in his mid-60s.
In 2000, despite support from his superstar roster, the company ousted him in favor of producer and songwriter Antonio “L.A.” Reid, who would later become chairman of Island/Def Jam.
Still, Davis’ successes were many
However, instead of severing its ties with Davis, BMG helped him launch J Records in what BMG has described as the largest record company startup ever created. Vandross was one of his initial artists, along with forgettable acts like the boy-band O-Town.
J Records was a success from the start, though, and only grew in stature with the arrival of a young singer named Keys, a piano-playing singer-songwriter with powerful pipes and dramatic R&B songs. Keys’ albums would go on to sell millions and win several Grammys.
His influence grew even more when Davis was tapped for BMG’s U.S. division.
Clive Davis and his partner Greg Schriefer.
He became a key backer of the careers of the winners of “American Idol,” guiding many albums to platinum status. The show’s link to Sony BMG came through a deal between Davis and 19 Recordings Unlimited, the label managed by “Idol” creator Simon Fuller.
In 2007, however, Davis disagreed with the direction of Clarkson’s “My December,” and she publicly criticized him. The album was a flop, and she later apologized.
In 2008, Sony BMG replaced Davis as chairman and chief executive officer of the BMG label group, giving him the title of chief creative officer.
He was serving as worldwide chief creative officer at Sony Music Entertainment up until his death.
A love-filled personal life
In his memoir, Davis confirmed longtime rumors that he was bisexual and had been living with a man in recent years.
“Do I feel I could have been similarly attracted to a woman?” Davis wrote. “The answer is yes.”
He is survived by his four children, sons Fred, Doug and Mitchell, daughter Lauren, and his eight grandchildren Austin, Charlie, Matthew, Hayley, Harper, Sloane, Billie and Cody, two great grandchildren, cousin Jo Schuman and partner Greg Schriefer.
His family shared a loving statement on Monday.
“Through every chapter of his remarkable life, family remained Clive’s greatest pride and deepest joy. Today, we celebrate not only a towering figure whose influence changed music forever, but the man who led our family with grace, generosity, and kindness. We will miss him greatly, cherish him always, and carry his love with us for the rest of our lives.”
Out you go. Keir Starmer forced out of British leadership.
Zionism is not popular.
Israel is not popular.
The royalty of the British Empire is unpopular.
The U.S. president is unpopular.
White leadership is unpopular.
Need I say more.
Keir Starmer has resigned today. He informed King Charles III and his Labour Party leaders. His focus on protecting Israel, not focusing on the financial crisis, the cost of living and being tone deaf cost him.
Just like many before him, his support for Israel doomed him.
He said Monday he will resign, forced out by his own party after missteps and mistakes soured voters’ goodwill following a landslide election victory two years ago on a promise of steady leadership and economic growth.
Starmer says he will remain caretaker prime minister until his Labour Party chooses a new leader — with expectations growing that it will be former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Burnham confirmed on social media that “I will put myself forward as part of this process.” Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who was considered his main rival for the top job, said he will back Burnham.
It was Burnham’s victory in a special parliamentary election last week that triggered Starmer’s decision to resign, as Labour lawmakers flocked to the charismatic former mayor in the hope he can revive the party’s fortunes. After nearly a decade as mayor of the northwestern city, Burnham returned Monday to Parliament, where he took the oath of office in the House of Commons.
Only members of Parliament are eligible for the party leadership.
Streeting’s statement makes it more likely that Burnham will be selected without a leadership contest.
Britain’s next election does not have to be held until 2029. Asked if he would call an early vote if he becomes prime minister, Burnham said: “You’re jumping several hurdles ahead there.”
Starmer is the sixth prime minister in a decade to stand outside No. 10 Downing St., and announce a premature departure. His statement came the day before Britain marks the 10th anniversary of its vote to leave the European Union, a decision that still roils the country’s economy and politics.
After weeks of insisting he would fight to keep his job, Starmer conceded to growing pressure to hand over to a new leader who can try and revive the government’s flagging fortunes. He led Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024, but since then his popularity and that of the party have plummeted.
A new leader in place within weeks
Starmer made the announcement outside his official residence, where he delivered his first speech as prime minister two years ago. His voice choked with emotion near the end of the brief statement, which was watched by his staff, Cabinet ministers and scores of journalists.
“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election,” Starmer said. “I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.”
He said he spoke to King Charles III, Britain’s constitutional monarch, to inform him of the decision.
Starmer spent the weekend pondering his future following Burnham’s special election victory.
Starmer said nominations for a leadership contest will open July 9, and the new leader will be in place by the time Parliament returns from its summer break on Sept. 1.
If Burnham is the only candidate, the change could come by mid-July.
Starmer struggled to fulfill election pledges
Starmer has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living. He has been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as U.K. ambassador to the United States.
Replacing a Zionist with another one.
Labour is losing liberal voters to the growing Green Party and facing a rising Reform UK, the Nigel Farage -led anti-immigration party that consistently leads in nationwide opinion polls.
U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in even before an announcement, linking Starmer’s exit to two of the Republican leader’s recurring grievances: immigration and renewable energy.
“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. He failed badly on two very important subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well! President DJT,” Trump posted on his social media platform.
Starmer’s initially warm relationship with Trump has soured in recent months over issues including the Iran war, which the U.K. didn’t join.
Praised on the world stage
In contrast to missteps domestically, Starmer has won praise for his international role, notably in rallying European support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, and working to mitigate the economic and political turmoil unleashed by the Iran conflict.
A NATO summit in Turkey next month may be his last foray on the world stage as Britain’s leader.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posting on X, thanked Starmer for his support and cooperation “that have helped make our Europe and our protection of life stronger.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Starmer’s legacy.
“It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years,” she said on X. “European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you. Thank you, dear Keir.”
While many Labour lawmakers have rallied behind Burnham, some have said that Starmer had been treated unfairly. London legislator Neil Coyle railed on X against “the prospect of an utter stitch-up & the media circus being rewarded.”
Many hope Burnham can connect with voters
Burnham is the front-runner to succeed Starmer because many people see him as the best person to defeat the anti-immigration Reform Party at the next election, said Olivia O’Sullivan, an analyst at London’s Chatham House think tank.
Burnham appeals to Labour Party lawmakers who were frustrated by the way Starmer has governed, O’Sullivan said. Many hope that he will set out a “clearer vision” and connect with voters in parts of the country that are in danger of turning to Reform.
Still, O’Sullivan cautioned that may not translate into genuine change.
“It’s absolutely correct that that is not the same thing as offering a radically different set of policies or even a particularly clear policy program,” she said.
Alan Greenspan, the former Fed chairman who served four presidents passed away at 100.
The former federal finance chief and husband of NBC News contributor Andrea Mitchell has passed away.
Alan Greenspan, the influential economist who steered U.S. monetary policy during his five terms as chairman of the Federal Reserve under four presidents, died Monday, according to his wife, NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell.
He was 100.
Greenspan helped define modern American capitalism from the final years of the Cold War-era through the dawn of the digital age. He presided over the Fed during one of the longest economic expansions in U.S. history, a boom stretching from 1991 to 2001. But he was also faulted for decisions that critics say created the conditions for the global financial crisis of 2007-08, such as advocating for deregulation of the financial sector.
Mitchell, the chief Washington correspondent and chief foreign affairs correspondent for NBC News, announced her husband’s death in a statement. They were married for 29 years.
“Alan passed away at our home this morning at the age of 100 from complications of Parkinson’s disease,” Mitchell said in a statement. “He was a giant of a man who helped shape the U.S. economy for decades under presidents of both parties, but was always honest in acknowledging his mistakes,” she said.
“To me he was my husband, who shaped my life from our very first date in 1984. He had ‘irrational exuberance’ for baseball, the Washington Commanders, tennis, golf and music, especially jazz,” Mitchell added. “He will be remembered for his brilliance and his kindness. Being his life partner was the joy of my life.”
In a statement, the Fed extended condolences to Mitchell and said Greenspan’s “contributions to monetary policy and economic thought left a lasting mark on this institution, on the broader field of economics, and on the country.”
Greenspan was born March 6, 1926, in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, where he showed mathematical acumen from a young age. In his early years, he attended the Juilliard School and played jazz saxophone and clarinet in a band.
He studied economics at New York University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1948 and a master’s in 1950, and then started work on a doctorate at Columbia University under economist Arthur F. Burns, a future chairman of the Federal Reserve.
In the early 1950s, Greenspan became an associate of the “Atlas Shrugged” writer Ayn Rand, whose “objectivist” philosophy of self-interest and laissez-faire capitalism inspired future generations of political libertarians and conservatives. Greenspan embraced some of her beliefs and paid tribute to her in his 2007 memoir.
“Ayn Rand and I remained close until she died in 1982, and I’m grateful for the influence she had on my life. I was intellectually limited until I met her,” Greenspan wrote in “The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World.”
Greenspan left Columbia in 1953 and joined an economic consulting firm that became known as Townsend-Greenspan Co., Inc. Five years later, he became president and chief owner of the firm.
Greenspan’s initial foray into the political world came in 1967 when he served as an adviser on Richard Nixon’s 1968 presidential campaign. He assisted with Nixon’s transition to the Oval Office but turned down an official role in the administration.
He advised Nixon on an informal basis and, following Nixon’s resignation in 1974, took a position in President Gerald Ford’s administration as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, serving until 1977. He pursued policies that, together with tighter monetary policy from the Paul Volcker-led Federal Reserve, helped reduce inflation from 11% to 6.5%.
In 1977, at the dawn of Jimmy Carter’s presidency, Greenspan returned to his consulting firm in New York and accepted an adjunct professorship at New York University, where he received a Ph.D. in economics.
Greenspan returned to government service when President Ronald Reagan appointed him to fill Volcker’s term as chairman of the Federal Reserve. Greenspan’s nomination was confirmed by the Senate on Aug. 11, 1987, during Reagan’s second term.
On Oct. 19, 1987, or “Black Monday,” when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted by more than 22% — the blue-chip index’s largest one-day percentage fall ever — Greenspan moved swiftly to keep the markets liquid. From then on, Fed moves to support financial markets through episodes of instability became known as the “Greenspan put.”
He drew praise for steering the economy through what was then the longest expansion in U.S. history, running roughly from March 1991 to the first quarter of 2001, a transformative period that saw the acceleration of globalization and the rise of the internet. Greenspan navigated the Fed through seminal events, including the “dotcom” bubble burst and the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
He achieved celebrity status when stocks soared to record levels under President Bill Clinton. The writer Christopher Hitchens called him “America’s least-likely celebrity,” The Economist magazine dubbed him a “rock star,” and his admirers called him “the maestro.”
Greenspan, who served five consecutive four-year terms, retired Jan. 31, 2006. He has the second-longest tenure as Fed chair, behind William McChesney Martin, who served from 1951 to 1970.
In the wake of the financial collapse of 2007-08, Greenspan drew scrutiny for decisions that some critics believe set the stage for the meltdown. Despite his infamous warning in 1996 that “irrational exuberance” was unduly inflating stock prices, he was faulted for missing the early-2000s housing bubble.
In 2011, the bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission determined that the crisis was triggered in part by Greenspan’s failure to discourage trade in securities backed by subprime mortgage loans amid an unsustainable housing boom and his promotion of financial industry deregulation.
“More than 30 years of deregulation and reliance on self-regulation by financial institutions, championed by former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan and others, supported by successive administrations and Congresses, and actively pushed by the powerful financial industry at every turn, had stripped away key safeguards, which could have helped avoid catastrophe,” the report said in part.
In testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in October 2008, Greenspan referred to the financial crisis as a “once-in-a-century credit tsunami.”
“The crisis, however, has turned out to be much broader than anything I could have imagined,” he acknowledged.
After leaving the Fed, Greenspan started his own consulting company in Washington and authored several books.
He shared his impressions of the presidents he had worked with in his memoir “The Age of Turbulence” and in interviews. Nixon was smart but paranoid, he said. Ford “was a genuinely nice man who was not ruthlessly ambitious,” he said in a 2009 interview.
Alan Greenspan with wife, NBC host Andrea Mitchell.
Reagan, the president who nominated him, “fervently believed in, and acted on, a small number of important principles,” he said in remarks at the Reagan Library in 2003.
Despite being a lifelong Republican, Greenspan had a strong relationship with Clinton, a Democrat, and praised his intelligence and fiscal discipline. Clinton, he joked, “was the best Republican president we’ve had in a while.”
His relationships with George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush were more complicated. The elder Bush blamed Greenspan publicly for the poor economy that likely contributed to his election loss, which Greenspan said in his book “surprised” him.
Greenspan said he was disappointed in the younger Bush for failing to rein in the budget with a GOP-controlled Congress, and that Republicans deserved it when they lost control of both chambers in the 2006 midterms. “The Republicans in Congress lost their way. They swapped principle for power. They ended up with neither,” he wrote in his book.
Greenspan’s successors as Fed chair include Ben Bernanke, Janet Yellen, Jerome Powell and, as of May, Kevin Warsh, who was appointed by President Donald Trump.
Greenspan received various national and international accolades: In 2000, the French government awarded him the Legion of Honor; and in 2002, Queen Elizabeth II named him an honorary Knight of the British Empire. He was awarded the U.S.’ highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by the younger Bush in 2005.
The Fed, in its statement on Greenspan’s death, said he “brought rigorous analytical discipline to monetary policymaking and helped establish the credibility that remains” one of the central bank’s “most important assets.”
“Chairman Greenspan’s legacy endures at the Federal Reserve—in those he mentored directly, in the economists and public servants he inspired, and in the frameworks and practices he helped shape,” the Fed added.
