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FIRST ON FOX: A group of House GOP lawmakers is urging the Trump administration not to give New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani a federal security clearance.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., is leading seven fellow House Freedom Caucus members in writing a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing Mamdani of supporting “violent movements” and having “radical” ties that they claim make him unfit for classified federal settings.
“DHS must deny Zohran Mamdani a security clearance. The federal government has a constitutional duty to defend the nation against threats both foreign and domestic,” the letter said.
“Mamdani’s record of radical ties, anti-American rhetoric, and support for violent movements makes him unfit. Granting him access to classified information would be reckless and would endanger NYPD officers and federal agents.”
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The letter noted that Mamdani co-founded a chapter of Students for Justice In Palestine at Bowdoin College when he was a student there, and it accused the group of praising Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel.
“He has blamed the FBI for radicalizing al Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki, undermining counterterrorism efforts. He has appeared alongside clerics who prayed for the annihilation of Israel’s supporters and praised Hamas fighters,” the letter said.
The GOP lawmakers said granting Mamdani a security clearance could “empower agitators, escalate threats, and put more of these brave agents’ lives in danger.”
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“His hostility toward immigration enforcement would make federal coordination unsafe and undermine national security,” they said.
The mayor of New York City, while not a federal official, does traditionally get a security clearance in order to get briefed on possible terror threats and other national security matters affecting the largest city in the U.S.
The letter comes on the same day that Mamdani is in Washington, D.C. to meet with President Donald Trump, a fellow New Yorker, as an introduction after he won his election earlier this month.
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The New York City mayor-elect has sought to moderate his views, at least publicly, since the waning weeks of his campaign.
He has pledged to be a mayor for all residents despite critics raising concerns about his hostile rhetoric toward Israel and lackluster pushback on questions of whether he supports Hamas.
Fox News Digital reached out to both Mamdani’s transition team and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment.
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