One meme that caught Corinne Goldman’s eye mocked the slogan ‘Jews for Palestine’ as ‘chickens for KFC’
Rep. Dan Goldman (D., N.Y.) has a girl problem. The Levi Strauss heir, best known for serving as lead counsel in the first impeachment of Donald Trump, was forced to distance himself from his own wife to avoid alienating a core Democratic constituency: terrorist supporters.
Goldman threw his wife, Corinne Levy Goldman, under the bus this week after left-wing activists in his Manhattan district circulated screenshots of social media posts she had “liked” in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist massacre. In a statement to the New York Times, the congressman insisted that his wife does “not speak for me.” Like many married couples, he explained, they do not always share the same views—particularly when one of them is trying to survive a Democratic primary in a district where hostility toward Israel has become something of a litmus test.
The controversy stems from nearly a dozen social media posts that Mrs. Goldman liked or shared in the weeks after the Hamas attack, which many Democratic voters embraced as a triumph of “anti-colonial resistance.” The Goldman family was in Israel at the time.
Among the posts Mrs. Goldman liked was a widely circulated meme from the popular account @EndWokeness mocking the slogan “Jews for Palestine” as “Chickens for KFC.” She also liked posts suggesting that Western activists who chant “Free Palestine” might consider relocating to Gaza and living under Hamas rule. Another post came from the account “God Bless Donald Trump,” which praised Hoover Institution fellow Victor Davis Hanson for arguing that the United States should revoke visas for visitors from places such as Iran and the Palestinian territories if Hamas executed American hostages.
Left-wing activists quickly seized on the posts, circulating screenshots and bringing them up at town halls in an effort to weaken Goldman’s credibility with pro-Hamas Democrats. The congressman faces a tough primary challenge from former New York City comptroller Brad Lander, an outspoken critic of Israel. Goldman’s critics argue that his wife’s social media activity was proof that he also hated Hamas, which would put him at odds with the anti-Western values of his constituents. The congressman’s district includes portions of Manhattan and Brooklyn, where anti-Israel activism has flourished since the Gaza war began.
Goldman told the Times that his wife’s antagonism toward terrorists and their supporters did not reflect his own views.
“Like most married couples, my wife and I do not always share the same views, and any tweets she has liked as a private citizen do not speak for me,” he said. “As an elected official and public figure, my record, votes and public statements are the only reflection of my beliefs.”
Goldman joins a long line of public servants in the United States with patriotic spouses. Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito, for example, faced criticism from liberals after an upside-down American flag at his Virginia home surfaced. Alito explained that his wife had flown the flag to signal distress amid a dispute with a neighbor. The Times later reported on a Revolutionary War-era “Appeal to Heaven” flag flown at Alito’s vacation home, though it’s unclear if Alito’s wife selected it. Alito was later named a Washington Free Beacon Man of the Year, an honor for which Goldman is now in line.
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