A Texas Democrat's antisemitic comments have drawn the ire of party leadership, who condemned her statements and urged voters to support her opponent.
Maureen Galindo, a candidate in the Democratic primary for a Texas House seat, pledged to turn the "Karnes ICE Detention Center into a prison for American Zionists and former ICE officers for human trafficking," Fox News reported. "It will also be a castration processing center for pedophiles, which will probably be most of the Zionists," Galindo wrote.
A quick review of the Galindo's Instagram account shows numerous posts about "Zionists." She has also said she would introduce legislation to have "all American candidates and elected officials who have ever taken Israeli money tried for treason."
"When I say I want billionaire Zionists in prison that does not I want Jews in internment camps," Galindo said on Instagram on Tuesday in an apparent attempt to clarify her position.
However, she has been widely condemned by many in the party. "This vile language by her is disqualifying and has no place in American politics, and certainly not in the Democratic Party," Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington said in a statement released Tuesday night.
Jeffries and DelBene also pointed out that Galindo appeared was receiving money from Lead Left PAC, which the pair claimed was looking out for Republican interests by trying to bolster more extreme candidates in Democratic primaries while undermining candidates the party preferred. The New York Times reported that the mysterious PAC had spent $1 million in Democratic primaries.
"They're going into Democratic primaries and literally trying to boost the most extreme candidates and oppose the (moderate) Blue Dog-endorsed candidates that, if they win, are going to beat the Republicans in the general," California Representative Adam Gray told the Times.
In the Texas race, Galindo is taking on Johnny Garcia, who has worked for the Bexar County Sheriff's Office and describes himself as an "old school Democrat."
Among those supporting Garcia is New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In a post on X, she called Galindo's rhetoric "absolutely disgusting" and "bigoted garbage." In the post, she urged people to vote for Garcia.
Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Jared Moskowitz also said in a joint statement that if she ends becoming a lawmaker, they will "force a vote to expel her every day she is here."
"Maureen's insane, antisemitic views — including putting Americans in concentration camps — have no place in our Party or country," they added.
