Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17) got a lot of backlash for a post he made about the riots in France, and justly so.
In his first post, he didn't condemn the riots. Instead, he said that it was about "schools" and "wealth inequality" and "what happens when nations let wealth and power accumulate in the hands of a few."
"In America, let us listen to our young. We need an economic and political transformation. America's Next New Deal," he said.
Imagine responding that way. He got a ton of backlash, and then had to add a post saying how he condemned rioting and violence.
Khanna went on Fox and tried to pitch this bilge, and Brian Kilmeade was having none of it. He asked if Khanna saw the hammer and sickle flags, or the Palestinian flags people had at the riots.
And there it is Kilmeade finally said it You’ll never be president. You’ll never make it past the primary. So why does FOX still have this guy on https://t.co/CJYFzC7rMX
— Karli Bonne’ 🇺🇸 (@KarluskaP) October 20, 2026
"What does that have to do with the school curriculum?" Kilmeade asked.
Khanna said many young people were upset about Gaza.
"So you burn a 200-year-old building?" Kilmeade asked incredulously.
Kilmeade cited some of what Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg said on the matter, which was brilliant.
"We are witnessing the resurgence of FAR-LEFT POLITICAL TERRORISM...If you claim to stand for working people, STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR THOSE WHO DESTROY EVERYTHING WORKING PEOPLE HAVE BUILT.
"Unlike their apologists, we believe destruction and chaos are NOT legitimate forms of political expression. Arson is not argument. Intimidation is not debate. Terror is not justice. And a campaign to destroy Western civilization is NOT a protest against the price of groceries....Under President Trump and Secretary Rubio, we will never surrender American communities to organized political terror. We will dismantle terrorist networks that threaten our people."
That's exactly right. If you were really upset about costs, why would you wreak destruction that would only drive costs up more? Why would you burn down things, which would only hurt the working people?
Khanna claimed that Helberg was wrong to classify it as left-wing action. So ignore those flags, ignore the Antifa and Communist signs that were there. Ignore the French officials even calling it that — Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu attributed the unrest to the "ultra-left" and criminals.
Khanna claimed it was oil that had gone up, and Kilmeade pointed out that didn't match the claim that this was about high school kids (who don't really care about oil).
Then Khanna tried that "wealth is accumulating in the hands of a few" schtick as the problem behind it all.
Kilmeade shot back that it's the rich people like Elon Musk who still employ thousands of people in the state, although Musk moved his corporate headquarters to Texas. He pointed out how the billionaires are leaving because of the threat of taxes.
Kilmeade delivered one heck of a line about how Khanna was wrong on taxes and just crushed Khanna's 2028 dreams. "And that's not going to get you president of the United States, Congressman," Kilmeade declared. "That's not going to get you past the primary in America."
Now that is one heck of a savage takedown. But so true. He doesn't have a chance, yet he doesn't seem to know that. He keeps pandering to the leftist base, and that's just making it worse for him.