Socialist Candidate’s 9/11 Comments Spark Outrage After Primary Win
A Colorado congressional candidate’s past remarks suggesting the U.S. may have invited the 9/11 terror attacks have ignited a firestorm on social media following her victory in Tuesday evening’s primary election. Melat Kiros, who won the Democratic nomination in Colorado’s first congressional district, faces intense scrutiny over comments that critics are calling radical and alarming.
Controversial Stance on 9/11
In unearthed interview footage, Kiros articulated a view that the September 11, 2001, attacks, which claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 Americans, were not entirely unexpected. She stated that she believed the U.S. had made such events “inevitable” through its foreign policy decisions. “Inevitable in the sense that we destabilized a lot of the Middle East. That forced people to believe that another act of violence was the only response,” Kiros explained in the interview.
These statements have drawn sharp criticism from political opponents and commentators. Steve Guest, a Republican strategist, drew a parallel to the rise of progressive Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but suggested Kiros’s views represented a more extreme shift within the Democratic Party. “This is light-years worse than AOC beating 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley,” Guest posted on X. “This is the Democrat party.” The Republican National Committee (RNC) also weighed in, labeling the comments “SICK!”
Broader Political Context and Accusations
Conservative media personality Benny Johnson pointed to Kiros’s win as evidence of what he perceives as the Democratic Party’s embrace of candidates with extreme ideologies. “She is a socialist who was born in Ethiopia. Melat also thinks America deserved 9/11,” Johnson stated on social media. “It isn’t just happening in New York; Democrats are losing their entire party.”
Echoing these sentiments, Representative Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., expressed concern about the caliber of individuals potentially entering Congress. “One radical lunatic after the next is coming to Washington. Why would we ever want to empower someone who believes 9/11 is America’s fault?” Lawler questioned.
Clay Travis, founder of the website OutKick, voiced similar fears, suggesting Kiros’s victory was part of a larger trend. “That’s four incumbents losing primaries to socialists in a week. Every state now has a Mamdani [and] the Democrat Party is on a rapid descent to Communism,” Travis wrote, referencing a perceived pattern of socialist candidates gaining traction.
Kiros’s Platform and Background
Kiros, a Ph.D. student and lawyer, has outlined a platform that includes policies often associated with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. Her stated goals include advocating for Medicare-for-all, ending military conflicts, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and implementing universal childcare.
In a campaign video, Kiros highlighted her personal experiences to connect with voters. “As someone who’s working as a barista to pay for school and health care, I know what it’s like to work so hard to get ahead while Washington is so far behind,” she said.
Controversies Regarding Foreign Relations and Israel
Beyond her views on 9/11, Kiros’s positions on foreign relations, particularly concerning Israel, have also drawn significant attention. In 2023, she was reportedly dismissed from a New York law firm after publishing an open letter. In the letter, she argued that student protesters calling for the elimination of Israel were not antisemitic and appeared to defend Hamas. She has also characterized the October 7, 2023, attacks against Israel as an “inevitable consequence of apartheid.”
Furthermore, Kiros declined to label a deadly firebombing incident in Boulder, where individuals were advocating for the release of hostages held by Hamas, as antisemitic. When questioned by 9News in Colorado about the incident, Kiros stated, “I don’t know what was in the heart of the perpetrator. All I know is that he went and attacked innocent people because of what they might have believed.”
General Election Outlook
With her primary victory secured, Melat Kiros is now set to face Republican challenger Christy Peterson, a local accountant, in the general election scheduled for November 3. The intense focus on Kiros’s past statements suggests that her controversial views will likely remain a central theme throughout the upcoming campaign.
