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UFC Fighter Tim Kennedy Promises to Match Glenn's $50,000 Offer to the Deadspin Fight Winner

January 26, 2017
Ted Tuttle

Editor

Deadspin's trash-talking editor-in-chief may have just talked himself into getting a serious beating.

After lashing out at Ted Cruz in his magazine, Tim Marchman took to Twitter dumping on the Texas senator's supporters and challenging anyone with enough guts to a fight:

That was a big mistake. It wasn't long before Army Ranger turned UFC fighter Tim Kennedy accepted the challenge:

Marchman has suddenly gone silent. But he won't be able to hide forever. Glenn upped the game by promising $50,000 of his own money to the winner's charity of choice.

Kennedy called in to Glenn's radio program Thursday to share where he would want the donated funds to go, assuming he won the fight. He then added a promise of his own.

"Obviously mine---the nonprofit---is going to go to a military/law enforcement-supporting charity. That's where mine is going to go," he said. "And, you know, I'll match yours, Glenn. That's coming from me, Tim Kennedy, as a person, supporting this cause as well."

Watch the clip or read the full segment transcript below.

GLENN: Oh, I love this. Okay. So you're going to love it as well. Ashley Feinberg, she's a writer for Deadspin. She was owned by Ted Cruz two times this week, when she was making fun of Ted Cruz and his basketball skills. And Ted Cruz tweeted back a picture of him -- or, a guy who kind of looked like a young him, a Duke basketball player, and just didn't say anything. Just let it speak for itself.

 

STU: He said, "What do I win?" He said, "What do I win?"

 

GLENN: Yeah, lets it speak for itself.

 

Then Tim Marchman. Tim Marchman is the editor for Deadspin. He writes, "Amazing that low testosterone Ted Cruz enthusiasts are comfortable haranguing Ashley Feinberg, but not me, Deadspin's actual editor. Ted Cruz is a pathetic, expletive. His social media intern's joke was basic, and complaints should go to Marchman at Deadspin.com. Unsurprising that not one Ted Cruz-supporting kuck Twitter user is willing to face me in the UFC octagon. Hundreds of dudes who can't do pushups are tweeting at me, but literally not one has had the brass to send me an email."

 

PAT: What? Unbelievable.

 

GLENN: Well, that's when Ted Kennedy -- or, Tim Kennedy does it. He writes --

 

STU: Ted Kennedy would have been a real story.

 

GLENN: That would have been a big story, yeah.

(laughter)

 

STU: Wow. We should have led the show if Ted Kennedy tweeted this one.

 

GLENN: All right.

 

He says: I'm your huckleberry. I also take note that you are a pathetic cyber bully. My email is Tim@RangerUp.com. Uh-oh, RangerUp.com.

 

STU: Uh-oh. Uh-oh.

 

GLENN: I'm available at your leisure.

 

So Tim has said: Any time, anyplace, I will meet you.

 

So I'm going to -- we have Tim on the phone now. Tim, how are you, sir?

 

TIM: I am spectacular. Good morning.

 

GLENN: So, Tim, you are Special Forces, a ranger?

 

TIM: Yes and yes.

 

GLENN: Yes. And you are an MMA fighter?

 

TIM: Yes. I'm also -- I've been a special MMA fighter for the past 20 years. And I think for the past ten I've been ranked in the top ten.

 

PAT: That is --

 

GLENN: And you're a Ted Cruz fan?

 

TIM: Yeah. He's a -- he's a fellow conservative from my home state of Texas.

 

GLENN: Yeah.

 

TIM: And while we don't agree on all things, I've actually gone to bat for him a couple of times on social media. So, yeah.

 

GLENN: So here's what I would like to do -- because you're ready to take what's-his-face up?

 

JEFFY: Yeah, whatever his face's name is.

 

GLENN: Whatever goes with that face. The editor of Deadspin. You're willing to take him up and fight him anytime, anywhere.

 

TIM: Yeah. I mean, first, let's look at how pathetic it is that we got to this point. A journalist -- that's an editor for a marginally successful online vlog sphere goes and has to resort to violence, typical of kind of anybody that doesn't have the aptitude to have real rational, logical argument and discussion or have a sense of humor.

 

So now here we are talking about actually doing a fist fight. And that was an escalation on his part after, I think, a kind of clever and witty response by Ted Cruz's intern. Such a pathetic state that we're in that the editor of Deadspin is going and saying profanity online and lobbing these unfounded accusations and saying really these ugly things just because he can't do anything else.

 

GLENN: So here's what I would like to offer, Tim. I would like to offer you and the editor of Deadspin to come on in and have a real conversation. And that's nice. We could have a real conversation, and you can discuss things and see if we can be civil.

 

PAT: Then beat the hell out of him.

 

GLENN: And then I'm offering a 50,000-dollar prize to the winner for their charity -- charity of their choice, either TheBlaze -- I haven't asked TheBlaze. But either TheBlaze or GlennBeck.com will do pay-per-view. Every dime will go to charity.

(chuckling)

 

GLENN: And the charity of whoever the winner is, their choice. So if you wants to give it all to Planned Parenthood, I guess he can because I'm going to put my money on Tim, and Tim will win and be able to take it to whatever charity you would like to give it to.

 

TIM: Yeah. I, of course, am fine with any of that.

 

You know, things have changed. I normally fight at 180 pounds middleweight. But right now I'm 225 pounds, working full-time as a Special Forces guy again, so as a Green Beret. So my charity would really love that generous contribution. And I appreciate that, you know, from Tim for making that happen.

 

Yeah, of course. I would love to, you know, at, again, his convenience.

 

GLENN: Okay. So what I would like all of the audience to do, and we'll reach out this morning as a company to Deadspin. But I'd like everybody to tweet now that we have put a 50,000-dollar prize for a charity of their choice, and we'll do pay-per-view. That will do at least another 50 grand. And we'll do pay-per-view. So it will probably be about 100,000-dollar prize, goes to the charity of be sure choice. That's a great, great offer. And I'd love to have a conversation first, if we can have a civil conversation between the two of you. And then if not, we'll just settle it --

 

JEFFY: Step into TheBlaze octagon.

 

GLENN: Yes.

 

STU: Civil conversation with a Deadspin editor. Good luck with that one.

 

GLENN: Yeah, I figure it won't -- but let's see if he can grow up and actually have a conversation.

 

STU: Yeah.

 

GLENN: And then they can get into the octagon and Tim can --

 

TIM: While I'm not hoping for violence, you know, having been in violent things my entire adult life, I think you're kind of being kind, Glenn. I think unnecessarily. What happened was we had a witty kind of comical satire response from Ted Cruz. And then a dude -- a really -- a nobody gets online and says a whole bunch of ugly things, cussing, throwing accusations, you know, insinuating all sorts of nastiness. And then ultimately threatens people with violence.

 

PAT: Uh-huh.

 

TIM: And now we're saying, "Okay. Let's go back to a civil conversation. Let this be the embodiment of kind of who the adults are in this conversation."

 

Okay. We'll give him that out. Okay. Tim, I would love for your rudeness yesterday, to give you what you asked for. But we all know you don't want to do that.

 

GLENN: No, wait. Wait. Wait. No, I'm not giving him the -- no, the conversation is part of the deal. If he wants to skip right to the beating, he can. But I as a guy who has turned over a new life would love to have the conversation first.

 

STU: Can we have the conversation later when he's writhing in pain? Where he has to grown in pain?

 

GLENN: Well, maybe he beats Tim.

 

STU: Well, sure, that's possible.

 

GLENN: He's also a fighter, is he not?

 

TIM: No, I think he's a fighter of pointless causes with unfounded irrational logic. Not an actual fighter.

(chuckling)

 

GLENN: Well, those sounds like fighting words to me. That sounds like something that he at Deadspin could not just let sit there on the counter and just go unanswered. Don't you think, Stu? Don't you think, Pat? His honor is at stake.

 

PAT: No, I think his honor is at stake now. He's got to step out now.

 

GLENN: Yeah. His honor is at stake.

 

Hey, Tim --

 

TIM: You know, I'm not a cosmopolitan. I'm not a fellow HEP statistican. You know, I'm obviously not as capable of understanding the complex concepts of, you know, this thing we have of our republic, which apparently he's the only person that understands. And then if anybody agrees with him, he just says whatever he wants with no repercussions. But I would be fine to have a conversation before or after --

(chuckling)

 

GLENN: The contest. Okay. So we're offering a guaranteed $50,000. TheBlaze cameras will be there, or the Glenn Beck Mercury cameras will be there if TheBlaze doesn't want to do it. But I'm sure they will. We'll cover it. It will make it an event. We'll make it pay-per-view. Every dime will go right to the charity. So who knows how much you could make.

 

So I want everybody to tweet to Deadspin today. And what's his name again?

 

PAT: Tim Marchman.

 

GLENN: Tim Marchman. He says that everything should be going to -- is it just Tim Marchman? Because he said, it should be go to -- what? Yes, it should be going to Twitter.com/TimMarchman, slash, something or other. I want to get it right --

 

PAT: That will get them right there. Slash, something or other.

 

STU: It's got to be just --

 

GLENN: Hang on. It's just got to be Tim Marchman. Just do @TimMarchman.

 

PAT: It's @TimMarchman.

 

GLENN: So do TimMarchman and let him know that his charity could be very, very wealthy if he just wants to complete what he started with his mouth, if he would just like to cash the check that his mouth just wrote.

 

TIM: I will -- you know, obviously mine -- you know, the nonprofit is going to go to a military/law enforcement-supporting charity. That's where mine is going to go. And I'll match yours, Glenn. So that's coming from me. Tim Kennedy as a person, supporting this cause as well.

 

PAT: Wow. Wow.

 

GLENN: So wait. Wait. Wait. I'm offering 50,000. You're offering 50,000 as well?

 

TIM: Yes. Yes, I am.

 

GLENN: Holy cow.

 

PAT: Wow.

 

GLENN: So there's $100,000 --

 

PAT: And then with the pay-per-view, will be a lot more than that.

 

GLENN: Yeah, we could make this into a big deal.

 

PAT: Nice.

 

GLENN: We could -- there's a possibility of making this into a quarter of a million dollar fight.

 

PAT: Uh-huh.

 

GLENN: And I'm sure Planned Parenthood would like some of that money, Mr. Marchman. If you can get into the ring with Tim and beat him, you could make a lot of money. I don't want to write a check to Planned Parenthood. Tim, do you want to write a check to Planned Parenthood.

 

TIM: While I believe women's issues are important and their reproductive protection and right to contraceptives, not overly thrilled with the prospect of writing the check to Planned Parenthood.

 

GLENN: Yes, thank you very -- what a -- boy, what a nice way --

 

STU: Great. Yeah, great effort there.

 

PAT: That's great.

 

GLENN: Yes, thank you. A lover, not just a fighter.

 

Okay. Tim, thank you very much. We'll be in touch. And we'll see what Mr. Marchman says.

 

TIM: Yeah, I'm not hard to find. Unless you're ISIS, then it's a rough night.

(laughter)

GLENN: Thanks a lot, Tim. I appreciate it. Thanks for your service, by the way.

 

JEFFY: Man, wow, you guys have won me over. I think I'm going to donate some of my money too today. Fifty cents. Fifty cents.

 

GLENN: Really? You couldn't even do --

 

JEFFY: He's going to do 50 --

 

GLENN: You couldn't even do $50.

 

JEFFY: I can't do that.

 

GLENN: Right.

 

STU: Percentage-wise, that would --

 

GLENN: He's done 50,000. (?) 100,000.50.

 

STU: That's a large donation.

 

GLENN: Are you guys going to step to the plate on this?

 

STU: Well, sure. Yeah.

 

JEFFY: You think you can maybe match me?

 

STU: I will match Jeffy. I will match Jeffy right now.

 

GLENN: Wow. Wow. Don't go overboard here. Don't go overboard.

 

PAT: With the -- this is -- with the pay-per-view, this is going to be --

 

GLENN: You know, we should take calls. If anybody wants to match that -- if anybody wants to come and not match his, but if anybody wants to come in -- anybody wants to come in --

 

STU: And match 50,000-dollar donations?

 

GLENN: Or no. $1,000. Let's see how much money we could raise for charity. Because I think with the pay-per-view -- how many people do you think -- if we really promoted this, we could get at least 100,000 people, right?

 

PAT: Oh.

 

JEFFY: I hope think so.

 

GLENN: So if we did 100,000 people and say it was even $10. I mean, you're making a lot of money.

 

STU: Guaranteed the guy doesn't even show up.

 

PAT: I know. We should probably get the commitment first from Tim Marchman, shouldn't we?

 

GLENN: I'm not saying sell the deal. Anybody who wants to make the commitment. Let's get -- the prize money is already up to 100,000.

 

JEFFY: And a dollar.

 

GLENN: And a dollar. So $100,000 is not something to laugh at. That's not, I'm going to prove -- that's $100,000 for charity.

 

STU: I have no idea if Tim Marchman cares about donating to charity. He may. I just don't know.

 

GLENN: Oh, if this guy has a single noodle in his bowl, this guy is -- wants me to write a check to Planned Parenthood.

 

STU: Or something maybe --

 

GLENN: Yeah, The Communists of America. He wants me to write that check. So I can't imagine how he's -- how he's going to turn that down, unless he's afraid.

 

STU: It's been a rough year for the good old Gawker media group, hasn't it?

 

GLENN: It really has.

 

STU: Jeez.

 

GLENN: It hasn't gone well for loudmouths who -- who want to push people over the edge.

 

STU: Well, it's funny, the Cruz thing (?) of the duke basketball player, with a funny message. And then they responded with eat S.

 

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah. Which was very clever.

 

STU: Which was very clever. However, the last time they did that, they did that to someone else when they complimented one of their stories. (?) that person became president of the United States in November, or just the other day actually.

Is the U.N. plotting to control 30% of U.S. land by 2030?

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

A reliable conservative senator faces cancellation for listening to voters. But the real threat to public lands comes from the last president’s backdoor globalist agenda.

Something ugly is unfolding on social media, and most people aren’t seeing it clearly. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) — one of the most constitutionally grounded conservatives in Washington — is under fire for a housing provision he first proposed in 2022.

You wouldn’t know that from scrolling through X. According to the latest online frenzy, Lee wants to sell off national parks, bulldoze public lands, gut hunting and fishing rights, and hand America’s wilderness to Amazon, BlackRock, and the Chinese Communist Party. None of that is true.

Lee’s bill would have protected against the massive land-grab that’s already under way — courtesy of the Biden administration.

I covered this last month. Since then, the backlash has grown into something like a political witch hunt — not just from the left but from the right. Even Donald Trump Jr., someone I typically agree with, has attacked Lee’s proposal. He’s not alone.

Time to look at the facts the media refuses to cover about Lee’s federal land plan.

What Lee actually proposed

Over the weekend, Lee announced that he would withdraw the federal land sale provision from his housing bill. He said the decision was in response to “a tremendous amount of misinformation — and in some cases, outright lies,” but also acknowledged that many Americans brought forward sincere, thoughtful concerns.

Because of the strict rules surrounding the budget reconciliation process, Lee couldn’t secure legally enforceable protections to ensure that the land would be made available “only to American families — not to China, not to BlackRock, and not to any foreign interests.” Without those safeguards, he chose to walk it back.

That’s not selling out. That’s leadership.

It's what the legislative process is supposed to look like: A senator proposes a bill, the people respond, and the lawmaker listens. That was once known as representative democracy. These days, it gets you labeled a globalist sellout.

The Biden land-grab

To many Americans, “public land” brings to mind open spaces for hunting, fishing, hiking, and recreation. But that’s not what Sen. Mike Lee’s bill targeted.

His proposal would have protected against the real land-grab already under way — the one pushed by the Biden administration.

In 2021, Biden launched a plan to “conserve” 30% of America’s lands and waters by 2030. This effort follows the United Nations-backed “30 by 30” initiative, which seeks to place one-third of all land and water under government control.

Ask yourself: Is the U.N. focused on preserving your right to hunt and fish? Or are radical environmentalists exploiting climate fears to restrict your access to American land?

  Smith Collection/Gado / Contributor | Getty Images

As it stands, the federal government already owns 640 million acres — nearly one-third of the entire country. At this rate, the government will hit that 30% benchmark with ease. But it doesn’t end there. The next phase is already in play: the “50 by 50” agenda.

That brings me to a piece of legislation most Americans haven’t even heard of: the Sustains Act.

Passed in 2023, the law allows the federal government to accept private funding from organizations, such as BlackRock or the Bill Gates Foundation, to support “conservation programs.” In practice, the law enables wealthy elites to buy influence over how American land is used and managed.

Moreover, the government doesn’t even need the landowner’s permission to declare that your property contributes to “pollination,” or “photosynthesis,” or “air quality” — and then regulate it accordingly. You could wake up one morning and find out that the land you own no longer belongs to you in any meaningful sense.

Where was the outrage then? Where were the online crusaders when private capital and federal bureaucrats teamed up to quietly erode private property rights across America?

American families pay the price

The real danger isn’t in Mike Lee’s attempt to offer more housing near population centers — land that would be limited, clarified, and safeguarded in the final bill. The real threat is the creeping partnership between unelected global elites and our own government, a partnership designed to consolidate land, control rural development, and keep Americans penned in so-called “15-minute cities.”

BlackRock buying entire neighborhoods and pricing out regular families isn’t by accident. It’s part of a larger strategy to centralize populations into manageable zones, where cars are unnecessary, rural living is unaffordable, and every facet of life is tracked, regulated, and optimized.

That’s the real agenda. And it’s already happening , and Mike Lee’s bill would have been an effort to ensure that you — not BlackRock, not China — get first dibs.

I live in a town of 451 people. Even here, in the middle of nowhere, housing is unaffordable. The American dream of owning a patch of land is slipping away, not because of one proposal from a constitutional conservative, but because global powers and their political allies are already devouring it.

Divide and conquer

This controversy isn’t really about Mike Lee. It’s about whether we, as a nation, are still capable of having honest debates about public policy — or whether the online mob now controls the narrative. It’s about whether conservatives will focus on facts or fall into the trap of friendly fire and circular firing squads.

More importantly, it’s about whether we’ll recognize the real land-grab happening in our country — and have the courage to fight back before it’s too late.


This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

URGENT: FIVE steps to CONTROL AI before it's too late!

MANAURE QUINTERO / Contributor | Getty Images

By now, many of us are familiar with AI and its potential benefits and threats. However, unless you're a tech tycoon, it can feel like you have little influence over the future of artificial intelligence.

For years, Glenn has warned about the dangers of rapidly developing AI technologies that have taken the world by storm.

He acknowledges their significant benefits but emphasizes the need to establish proper boundaries and ethics now, while we still have control. But since most people aren’t Silicon Valley tech leaders making the decisions, how can they help keep AI in check?

Recently, Glenn interviewed Tristan Harris, a tech ethicist deeply concerned about the potential harm of unchecked AI, to discuss its societal implications. Harris highlighted a concerning new piece of legislation proposed by Texas Senator Ted Cruz. This legislation proposes a state-level moratorium on AI regulation, meaning only the federal government could regulate AI. Harris noted that there’s currently no Federal plan for regulating AI. Until the federal government establishes a plan, tech companies would have nearly free rein with their AI. And we all know how slowly the federal government moves.

  

This is where you come in. Tristan Harris shared with Glenn the top five actions you should urge your representatives to take regarding AI, including opposing the moratorium until a concrete plan is in place. Now is your chance to influence the future of AI. Contact your senator and congressman today and share these five crucial steps they must take to keep AI in check:

Ban engagement-optimized AI companions for kids

Create legislation that will prevent AI from being designed to maximize addiction, sexualization, flattery, and attachment disorders, and to protect young people’s mental health and ability to form real-life friendships.

Establish basic liability laws

Companies need to be held accountable when their products cause real-world harm.

Pass increased whistleblower protections

Protect concerned technologists working inside the AI labs from facing untenable pressures and threats that prevent them from warning the public when the AI rollout is unsafe or crosses dangerous red lines.

Prevent AI from having legal rights

Enact laws so AIs don’t have protected speech or have their own bank accounts, making sure our legal system works for human interests over AI interests.

Oppose the state moratorium on AI 

Call your congressman or Senator Cruz’s office, and demand they oppose the state moratorium on AI without a plan for how we will set guardrails for this technology.

Glenn: Only Trump dared to deliver on decades of empty promises

Tasos Katopodis / Stringer | Getty Images

The Islamic regime has been killing Americans since 1979. Now Trump’s response proves we’re no longer playing defense — we’re finally hitting back.

The United States has taken direct military action against Iran’s nuclear program. Whatever you think of the strike, it’s over. It’s happened. And now, we have to predict what happens next. I want to help you understand the gravity of this situation: what happened, what it means, and what might come next. To that end, we need to begin with a little history.

Since 1979, Iran has been at war with us — even if we refused to call it that.

We are either on the verge of a remarkable strategic victory or a devastating global escalation. Time will tell.

It began with the hostage crisis, when 66 Americans were seized and 52 were held for over a year by the radical Islamic regime. Four years later, 17 more Americans were murdered in the U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut, followed by 241 Marines in the Beirut barracks bombing.

Then came the Khobar Towers bombing in 1996, which killed 19 more U.S. airmen. Iran had its fingerprints all over it.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, Iranian-backed proxies killed hundreds of American soldiers. From 2001 to 2020 in Afghanistan and 2003 to 2011 in Iraq, Iran supplied IEDs and tactical support.

The Iranians have plotted assassinations and kidnappings on U.S. soil — in 2011, 2021, and again in 2024 — and yet we’ve never really responded.

The precedent for U.S. retaliation has always been present, but no president has chosen to pull the trigger until this past weekend. President Donald Trump struck decisively. And what our military pulled off this weekend was nothing short of extraordinary.

Operation Midnight Hammer

The strike was reportedly called Operation Midnight Hammer. It involved as many as 175 U.S. aircraft, including 12 B-2 stealth bombers — out of just 19 in our entire arsenal. Those bombers are among the most complex machines in the world, and they were kept mission-ready by some of the finest mechanics on the planet.

   USAF / Handout | Getty Images

To throw off Iranian radar and intelligence, some bombers flew west toward Guam — classic misdirection. The rest flew east, toward the real targets.

As the B-2s approached Iranian airspace, U.S. submarines launched dozens of Tomahawk missiles at Iran’s fortified nuclear facilities. Minutes later, the bombers dropped 14 MOPs — massive ordnance penetrators — each designed to drill deep into the earth and destroy underground bunkers. These bombs are the size of an F-16 and cost millions of dollars apiece. They are so accurate, I’ve been told they can hit the top of a soda can from 15,000 feet.

They were built for this mission — and we’ve been rehearsing this run for 15 years.

If the satellite imagery is accurate — and if what my sources tell me is true — the targeted nuclear sites were utterly destroyed. We’ll likely rely on the Israelis to confirm that on the ground.

This was a master class in strategy, execution, and deterrence. And it proved that only the United States could carry out a strike like this. I am very proud of our military, what we are capable of doing, and what we can accomplish.

What comes next

We don’t yet know how Iran will respond, but many of the possibilities are troubling. The Iranians could target U.S. forces across the Middle East. On Monday, Tehran launched 20 missiles at U.S. bases in Qatar, Syria, and Kuwait, to no effect. God forbid, they could also unleash Hezbollah or other terrorist proxies to strike here at home — and they just might.

Iran has also threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz — the artery through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil flows. On Sunday, Iran’s parliament voted to begin the process. If the Supreme Council and the ayatollah give the go-ahead, we could see oil prices spike to $150 or even $200 a barrel.

That would be catastrophic.

The 2008 financial collapse was pushed over the edge when oil hit $130. Western economies — including ours — simply cannot sustain oil above $120 for long. If this conflict escalates and the Strait is closed, the global economy could unravel.

The strike also raises questions about regime stability. Will it spark an uprising, or will the Islamic regime respond with a brutal crackdown on dissidents?

Early signs aren’t hopeful. Reports suggest hundreds of arrests over the weekend and at least one dissident executed on charges of spying for Israel. The regime’s infamous morality police, the Gasht-e Ershad, are back on the streets. Every phone, every vehicle — monitored. The U.S. embassy in Qatar issued a shelter-in-place warning for Americans.

Russia and China both condemned the strike. On Monday, a senior Iranian official flew to Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin. That meeting should alarm anyone paying attention. Their alliance continues to deepen — and that’s a serious concern.

Now we pray

We are either on the verge of a remarkable strategic victory or a devastating global escalation. Time will tell. But either way, President Trump didn’t start this. He inherited it — and he took decisive action.

The difference is, he did what they all said they would do. He didn’t send pallets of cash in the dead of night. He didn’t sign another failed treaty.

He acted. Now, we pray. For peace, for wisdom, and for the strength to meet whatever comes next.


This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Globalize the Intifada? Why Mamdani’s plan spells DOOM for America

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

If New Yorkers hand City Hall to Zohran Mamdani, they’re not voting for change. They’re opening the door to an alliance of socialism, Islamism, and chaos.

It only took 25 years for New York City to go from the resilient, flag-waving pride following the 9/11 attacks to a political fever dream. To quote Michael Malice, “I'm old enough to remember when New Yorkers endured 9/11 instead of voting for it.”

Malice is talking about Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist assemblyman from Queens now eyeing the mayor’s office. Mamdani, a 33-year-old state representative emerging from relative political obscurity, is now receiving substantial funding for his mayoral campaign from the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

CAIR has a long and concerning history, including being born out of the Muslim Brotherhood and named an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terror funding case. Why would the group have dropped $100,000 into a PAC backing Mamdani’s campaign?

Mamdani blends political Islam with Marxist economics — two ideologies that have left tens of millions dead in the 20th century alone.

Perhaps CAIR has a vested interest in Mamdani’s call to “globalize the intifada.” That’s not a call for peaceful protest. Intifada refers to historic uprisings of Muslims against what they call the “Israeli occupation of Palestine.” Suicide bombings and street violence are part of the playbook. So when Mamdani says he wants to “globalize” that, who exactly is the enemy in this global scenario? Because it sure sounds like he's saying America is the new Israel, and anyone who supports Western democracy is the new Zionist.

Mamdani tried to clean up his language by citing the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, which once used “intifada” in an Arabic-language article to describe the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. So now he’s comparing Palestinians to Jewish victims of the Nazis? If that doesn’t twist your stomach into knots, you’re not paying attention.

If you’re “globalizing” an intifada, and positioning Israel — and now America — as the Nazis, that’s not a cry for human rights. That’s a call for chaos and violence.

Rising Islamism

But hey, this is New York. Faculty members at Columbia University — where Mamdani’s own father once worked — signed a letter defending students who supported Hamas after October 7. They also contributed to Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. And his father? He blamed Ronald Reagan and the religious right for inspiring Islamic terrorism, as if the roots of 9/11 grew in Washington, not the caves of Tora Bora.

   Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

 

This isn’t about Islam as a faith. We should distinguish between Islam and Islamism. Islam is a religion followed peacefully by millions. Islamism is something entirely different — an ideology that seeks to merge mosque and state, impose Sharia law, and destroy secular liberal democracies from within. Islamism isn’t about prayer and fasting. It’s about power.

Criticizing Islamism is not Islamophobia. It is not an attack on peaceful Muslims. In fact, Muslims are often its first victims.

Islamism is misogynistic, theocratic, violent, and supremacist. It’s hostile to free speech, religious pluralism, gay rights, secularism — even to moderate Muslims. Yet somehow, the progressive left — the same left that claims to fight for feminism, LGBTQ rights, and free expression — finds itself defending candidates like Mamdani. You can’t make this stuff up.

Blending the worst ideologies

And if that weren’t enough, Mamdani also identifies as a Democratic Socialist. He blends political Islam with Marxist economics — two ideologies that have left tens of millions dead in the 20th century alone. But don’t worry, New York. I’m sure this time socialism will totally work. Just like it always didn’t.

If you’re a business owner, a parent, a person who’s saved anything, or just someone who values sanity: Get out. I’m serious. If Mamdani becomes mayor, as seems likely, then New York City will become a case study in what happens when you marry ideological extremism with political power. And it won’t be pretty.

This is about more than one mayoral race. It’s about the future of Western liberalism. It’s about drawing a bright line between faith and fanaticism, between healthy pluralism and authoritarian dogma.

Call out radicalism

We must call out political Islam the same way we call out white nationalism or any other supremacist ideology. When someone chants “globalize the intifada,” that should send a chill down your spine — whether you’re Jewish, Christian, Muslim, atheist, or anything in between.

The left may try to shame you into silence with words like “Islamophobia,” but the record is worn out. The grooves are shallow. The American people see what’s happening. And we’re not buying it.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.