The insurgent left’s campaign against the Democratic establishment has only intensified since the rise of Zohran Mamdani, and its epicenter remains New York, as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is now facing a progressive primary challenger from a candidate aligned with Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Jeffries’ primary challenger, Chi Ossé, who announced his bid on Monday, is a New York City Council member and yet another democratic socialist. He briefly left the Democratic Socialists of America after taking office in 2022, but rejoined the group over the summer. He is known for railing against "late-stage capitalism," using slogans like "Eat the Rich!" and posting to X, "I wish Biden were a socialist."
His views closely mirror Mamdani’s on issues ranging from Israel to policing.
In June of 2022, during the Black Lives Matter Riots, Ossé called to defund the police, writing in a social media caption, "We’re going to defund the NYPD ... I DONT SPEAK [pig]."
After the October 7th attacks on Israel, he released a statement on X, describing Israel's "occupation" of Gaza as the "primary root of the violence." While he said he didn't stand with terrorists, he played cover for them, arguing that Palestinian resistance (an odd way to describe Hamas) is justified against the Israeli's. He also falsely accused Israel of committing genocide and causing a famine in the Gaza Strip.
My statement on what’s currently happening in Israel/Palestine. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/YcxHTkxtGl
— Chi Ossé (@OsseChi) October 10, 2023
Like Mamdani, Ossé had a privileged upbringing, attending Friends Seminary, a selective private school where tuition is $60,000, and growing up with wealthy parents. Like Mamdani, yet another champagne socialist.
Mamdani, however, urged Ossé not to run for Congress, warning that the campaign could undermine his agenda for New York City. According to the New York Times, the dispute grew so heated that Mamdani withdrew his invitation for Ossé to attend his election-night victory party.
When Axios asked Ossé why he decided to run, he said it was because "The Democratic Party’s leadership is not only failing to effectively fight back against Donald Trump, they have also failed to deliver a vision that we can all believe in."
Jeffries has dismissed the challenge.
This comes as progressive Democrats continue to wage a war against their party's establishment. AOC is currently being urged by her supporters to primary Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, following his failure to hold his party line during the government shutdown. Eight Democrats voted with Republicans to pass the continuing resolution, which many on the left viewed as a massive failure.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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