On Monday, as Townhall has been covering, Edan Alexander was released from being held in Hamas' captivity. He had been held hostage for over 580 days, since the October 7, 2023 attack that Hamas perpetrated against Israel. Alexander, now 21, was also notably the last living American being held hostage. While his homecoming was celebrated in a bipartisan manner--Alexander's hometown of Tenafly, New Jersey is represented by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), there were some notable responses from the usual suspects.
Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) as well as Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) have also all celebrated Alexander's release multiple times from their X accounts. Although Alexander is not from her district, New Jersey's 12th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman is still a worthwhile mention, given that she has spoken out against Israel, despite Alexander being from her state. As of Tuesday morning, she did not post about him at all, but rather has been incessantly posting a defense of herself for storming an ICE detention facility in Newark, as did other Democratic members from Congress and even the mayor.
None of the Squad members, who are particularly anti-Israel members of Congress, are from New Jersey. Some do hail from New York, though, which is close by enough. Curiously, that member, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has not posted in days, and so she hasn't posted about Alexander, though she has posted in support of Democrats who stormed the facility. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has not posted since her Mother's Day message.
Perhaps the worst offender, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), has posted since Alexander's release was announced on Sunday and actually took place on Monday. Notably, she also spoke out in favor of unseating a fellow Democrat incumbent, Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan's 13th Congressional District. Thanedar has gained headlines recently for filing articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.
I know I need a real partner in Congress who will call our residents back. Donavan understands the importance of constituent services and showing up for families when they need us most. I can't wait to serve with him. https://t.co/4vNsy4HrxD
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 12, 2025
Any member who sees images like this and does nothing to help shouldn't be serving our families. This is southwest Detroit, where I grew up. The water main break was a horrific disaster, and Shri was completely absent. We need someone like Donavan who will always show up. https://t.co/yFJJar7pDx pic.twitter.com/UCXL8qGroW
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 12, 2025
Then there's Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), who did post about Alexander's release. Except, just as you'd likely expect, she couldn't leave it about such good news. She started by sharing she was "relieved" to hear about his release and being united with his family, but didn't stop there.
"It is dire and urgent that humanitarian aid into Gaza resume and an immediate and lasting ceasefire is desperately needed to save lives," Pressley added, claiming that "Our destinies are truly tied."
I'm relieved to learn that American Edan Alexander has been released and is headed to reunite with his family.
— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) May 12, 2025
It is dire and urgent that humanitarian aid into Gaza resume and an immediate and lasting ceasefire is desperately needed to save lives.
Our destinies are truly tied.
Pressley had another post out that same day, about someone else's release. The congresswoman from her political account reposted the post about Alexander and Gaza from her official account above, but also a "welcome home" message for Rümeysa Öztürk, whom she posed with for pictures. Another Democrat included in the photo is Sen. Ed Markey, also of Massachusetts.
Unlike her message about Alexander that contained a lecture of sorts on Gaza and how "destinies" are supposedly "truly tied," Pressley didn't add any such message about Öztürk, the pro-Hamas student attending Tufts University who is lucky enough to be here on a visa from Turkey. Although she was detained by ICE and held at a facility in Louisiana, a federal judge in Vermont ordered her returned home last Friday on bail.
Why Jews are leaving the Democratic Party part 53849:
— Shabbos Kestenbaum (@ShabbosK) May 12, 2025
On the day American citizen Edan Alexander was released from captivity in Gaza, Democratic leadership decide to instead "welcome home" a non American Turkish national who was lawfully detained for anti-American propaganda https://t.co/OY3Jup3CgI
Rümeysa Öztürk, welcome home. pic.twitter.com/EX5wZOQqhD
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) May 12, 2025
Another Squad member, Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), has posted plenty since Alexander's release was announced, including even a repost of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt about Trump lowering drug prices. There's nothing about the released American hostage, though Casar has also posted plenty about the New Jersey Democrats playing the victim after storming an ICE detention center.
Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) has also not posted about Alexander, and neither did Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA), though the latter did have an interesting post about Öztürk from last Friday.
Rümeysa was abducted by masked, plain clothes agents and held illegally for weeks.
— Rep. Summer Lee (@RepSummerLee) May 9, 2025
This ruling is a victory for her and for our democracy.
She must be released immediately—along with all other political prisoners wrongfully detained. https://t.co/Alt1RwJjpE
Speaking of Markey, he did post about Alexander, but it was also on the same day he posted incessantly against Trump and tariffs. When it comes to another Massachusetts politician, the far-left Sen. Elizabeth Warren, she took the time to rant and rave against Trump on Monday, even on drug prices, but there was nothing about Alexander.
While another particularly anti-Israel member, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) differed from Warren in that he seemed hopeful about Trump's plan for drug prices, he also took to the Senate floor that same day to rant against Israel and once more defend Gaza.
"For many in Netanyahu’s extremist government, this has been the plan all along: it’s called ethnic cleansing," he claimed about the Israeli prime minister. "This would be a terrible tragedy, no matter where or why it was happening. But what makes this tragedy so much worse for us in America is that it is our government, the United States government, that is absolutely complicit in creating and sustaining this humanitarian disaster," Sanders continued. Yet while he mentioned America, he couldn't mention the American hostage.
What is happening in Gaza will be a permanent stain on the world's collective conscience.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 12, 2025
History will never forget how our government was complicit in enabling and sustaining this ongoing humanitarian disaster.
We must end funding for the Netanyahu war machine. pic.twitter.com/HZggECP6hi
There's also the anti-Israel, anti-zionist, far-left groups such as IfNotNow and Jewish Voice for Peace. IfNotNow sent out several reposts on Monday, but about Gaza, not Alexander. They also sent out a press advisory on Monday, but one that was not about Alexander. Jewish Voice for Peace has not posted since last week, and does not appear to have once posted about Alexander since he was taken hostage.
Whatever the usual suspects may say, or more tellingly may not say about Alexander's return home, there is support for this freed hostage, who is himself quite grateful for the role Trump played.
584 DAYS HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS — AMERICAN EDAN ALEXANDER IS FREE! 🇺🇸🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/3rvVqfPfdI
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 12, 2025
