{"id":21781,"date":"2026-04-23T21:17:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T21:17:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/he-wants-muslims-out-of-the-u-s-and-hes-blakemans-opener\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T21:17:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T21:17:09","slug":"he-wants-muslims-out-of-the-u-s-and-hes-blakemans-opener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/he-wants-muslims-out-of-the-u-s-and-hes-blakemans-opener\/","title":{"rendered":"He wants Muslims out of the U.S., and he\u2019s Blakeman\u2019s opener"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Tennessee<\/p>\n

THE ISLAMAPHOBE & BLAKEMAN: <\/b>As Nassau County Executive, Republican Bruce Blakeman has welcomed Muslim residents with open arms.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s eaten at their Ramadan Iftar<\/a> dinners, appointed<\/a> the first Muslim chaplain to the county\u2019s police force and talked about the value of Muslims as Nassau County county residents and Americans.<\/p>\n

But as he tries to win a statewide race for governor, Blakeman is now aligning himself with a leader of the anti-Muslim faction of the national GOP \u2014 and he\u2019s not responding to questions about it.<\/p>\n

On Friday night, Blakeman will appear with Rep. Andy Ogles \u2014 the Tennessee Republican who has led the effort in Washington to \u201cdenaturalize\u201d and \u201cdeport\u201d Mayor Zohran Mamdani \u2014 at the Metropolitan Republican Club’s annual gala.<\/p>\n

“Muslims don’t belong in American society,\u201d Ogles has said<\/a>. He\u2019s also called Mamdani<\/a> \u201cLittle Muhammad\u201d and claimed that<\/a> \u201cdenaturalizations and deportations are the only way to save the Big Apple.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blakeman\u2019s team declined to comment on Ogles\u2019 past statements or the gubernatorial candidate\u2019s upcoming appearance with the House member.<\/p>\n

Blakeman will deliver the gala\u2019s keynote speech, and Ogles will be honored with the club\u2019s Ronald Reagan Award for the Advancement of Individual Liberty. Also on the list of featured attendees are former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Council Member Vickie Paladino and former Nassau County Bridge Authority Commissioner<\/a> and pro-Israel influencer Emily Austin. Tickets<\/a> start at $321.<\/p>\n

The event\u2019s host, the Metropolitan Republican Club, is often seen as the more mainstream counterpart to the city\u2019s far-right New York Young Republican Club. The statewide New York State Young Republicans disbanded last year after POLITICO uncovered a trove<\/a> of racist, homophobic and antisemitic chats involving members of the organization and other Young Republican groups around the country.<\/p>\n

Ogles spoke at the New York Young Republican Club\u2019s gala<\/a> in December, where he said \u201cnaturalized illegal immigrants are polluting our politics\u201d and \u201cthe new right must have courage to deport them,\u201d a reference to his call for Mamdani\u2019s deportation.<\/p>\n

Husein Yatabarry, executive director of the Muslim Community Network, told Playbook remarks like Ogles\u2019 can have a \u201chuge impact\u201d on the state\u2019s roughly 1.7 million Muslim residents as they consider whether to engage in state politics.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s sad to see that a lot of politicians are leaning into xenophobia and Islamaphobia and not looking at Muslims as part of their community’s fabric, but looking at Muslims as a way to get the most rude and heinous people behind you as a candidate,\u201d Yatabarry said.<\/p>\n

Ogles, who wrote a letter<\/a> to the Department of Justice in October asking for Mamdani to be denaturalized, did not respond to a request for comment. He faces his own political battle this year, as a Democratic mayor has found fundraising success<\/a> while hoping to topple Ogles in his deep-red district. Federal authorities are also reportedly investigating Ogles<\/a> for potential campaign finance violations.<\/p>\n

On the campaign trail, Blakeman often touts his strong electoral performances in purple Nassau County when speaking of his electability statewide. He easily won reelection last year<\/a> in what was otherwise a bleak year for Republicans in New York.<\/p>\n

But his Friday night appearance won\u2019t be the first time he\u2019ll find himself alongside figures from the extreme corners of the GOP. Blakeman was the keynote speaker<\/a> at an event honoring John Eastman, an attorney who was disbarred in California last week<\/a> for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. When Blakeman\u2019s running mate, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, spoke at a Buffalo-area political club<\/a> led by a man who called Mamdani \u201cvermin,\u201d the Nassau County executive didn\u2019t seem to mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cMayor Mamdani is a disgrace,\u201d Blakeman said in a statement at the time. \u201cHe is anti-American, antisemitic, and anti-Cop.\u201d \u2014<\/i><\/b> Jason Beeferman<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL<\/h3>\n

\"House<\/p>\n

PAC IT UP: <\/b>House Democrats\u2019 biggest super PAC touted its \u201clargest early investment\u201d in the organization\u2019s history, with a notable omission \u2014 New York.<\/p>\n

House Majority PAC\u2019s announcement earlier today of an initial $272 million spend on advertisements includes zilch in the notoriously expensive New York City media market, where Democrats are protecting Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen on Long Island and attempting to flip Rep. Mike Lawler\u2019s seat just north of the city in NY-17.<\/p>\n

Democrats, fear not. Money is on the way, according to HMP.<\/p>\n

“Today’s initial reservations prioritize markets where rates increase significantly and there will be more reservations to come,\u201d the super PAC\u2019s communications director CJ Warnke said in a statement. \u201cHMP plans to invest heavily to flip districts like NJ-07 and NY-17.\u201d (The NYC media market covers Republican Rep. Tom Kean in New Jersey\u2019s 7th District as well.)<\/p>\n

National Democratic groups are working from a much smaller electoral map in New York after flipping four seats two years ago. Last cycle, HMP\u2019s initial reserve included $16 million in New York City and $5 million in markets further upstate.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Congressional Leadership Fund \u2014 the House GOP\u2019s main super PAC \u2014 on Thursday also released its initial advertising reservations, which the group similarly described as its \u201clargest ever.\u201d That $153 million investment includes $18.6 million in New York City. CLF also said it is putting money into Albany ($2.1 million), Binghamton ($1.8 million) and Syracuse ($658,000), markets that cover Democratic Rep. Josh Riley\u2019s district \u2014 another seat that Republicans have their eye on.<\/p>\n

Last cycle, CLF\u2019s initial reservation included $20 million in New York City and $8 million in markets elsewhere in the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cHouse Majority PAC isn\u2019t even spending one dollar to defend vulnerable Dem members Tom Suozzi, Laura Gillen, Josh Riley & [New Jersey Rep.] Nellie Pou,\u201d CLF spokesperson Lydia Hall said in a statement. \u201cThey\u2019ve given up on these incumbents while funding other offensive fantasies across the country.\u201d \u2014 Madison Fernandez<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

From the Capitol<\/h3>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

SCHR\u00d6DINGER\u2019S CANNABIS: <\/b>New York\u2019s beleaguered medical cannabis program can breathe a sigh of relief today after the Trump administration rescheduled medical cannabis<\/a> through an executive order. Overnight, they went from dealing in a Schedule I, federally illegal substance to one that has a pathway to federal regulation under Schedule III.<\/p>\n

What does this do for New York\u2019s medical cannabis producers? First off, they will no longer be subject to an onerous federal tax code that barred them from taking typical business deductions like employee salaries. And starting next week, they\u2019ll be able to register with the Drug Enforcement Administration \u2014 a dramatic shift for an industry that was viewed by the federal government as illegal drug traffickers.<\/p>\n

The cannabis industry in New York and beyond is cheering the move as normalizing medical use of the substance. While the order doesn’t immediately change the status of the state\u2019s adult-use market, where anyone at least 21 years old can legally shop, it does signal that the administration will likely take steps to do so this summer.<\/p>\n

Beyond that is where things get a little murky. \u201cThere are a lot more questions coming out of this order than there are answers,\u201d said Katie Neer, a cannabis regulatory lawyer who represents the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association.<\/p>\n

It could make it easier for the cannabis industry to access financial services, though that remains to be seen. And it could draw more capital to New York\u2019s medical cannabis operators, where there are 10 licensees that are not yet operational. It could also enable New York\u2019s medical cannabis operators, who are under one of the strictest programs in the nation, to export their products.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt creates a market across the world for New York\u2019s pharmaceutical [cannabis] products \u2026 to be exported internationally,\u201d said Adam Goers, senior vice president of corporate affairs for New York medical cannabis operator Columbia Care. In terms of interstate commerce? \u201cWe\u2019ll see how that plays out.\u201d<\/p>\n

New York’s medical cannabis program launched in January 2016 with 10 licensed operators. Eight of those are still operational, and the state issued licenses to 11 new medical operators more recently.<\/p>\n

For now, even as they welcome the federal shift, cannabis companies will be tasked with figuring out the confusing legal complexities moving forward. Some of New York\u2019s medical marijuana businesses also sell products in the adult-use market, which creates a quandary when it comes to figuring out their taxes, and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Schr\u00f6dinger\u2019s cannabis, right?\u201d said Mike Feldman, general counsel of Nabis, a cannabis distributor in New York. \u201cIt is sitting in a warehouse, and it is both Schedule I and Schedule III at the same time.\u201d \u2014 Mona Zhang<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

TRAIN TROUBLES \u2014 <\/b>A dispute between Amtrak and New York\u2019s Metropolitan Transportation Authority threatens the full rollout of new Acela trains, Amtrak said in a lawsuit that represents the latest transit dispute between President Donald Trump’s and Gov. Kathy Hochul\u2019s administrations.<\/p>\n

The suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, asks a judge to order Metro-North to give Amtrak access to the tracks, Blue Light News Pro reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Amtrak said Metro-North is blocking its ability to test new trains because of a dispute between the two railways over liability for damage to an overhead power line that Metro-North blames on one of Amtrak\u2019s NextGen Acela trains.<\/p>\n

In a statement, MTA suggested Amtrak is trying to distract from another ongoing dispute<\/a> where MTA says Amtrak is holding up expansion of commuter service to Penn Station.<\/p>\n

In the lawsuit, Amtrak reveals an issue with its new Acela trains tangling with MTA infrastructure near a bridge in Westport, Connecticut during previous tests. Similar infrastructure problems \u2014 involving the interaction between overhead power lines and a train pole that draws energy from them \u2014 caused massive delays for commuters in New Jersey two summers ago. The Garden State and Amtrak were able to work through their issues; this lawsuit against New York suggests a broken relationship between Amtrak and Empire State officials. \u2014 Ry Rivard<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

IN OTHER NEWS<\/h3>\n

\u2014 BILLIONAIRE BLUES: <\/b>Citadel CEO Ken Griffin suggested the hedge fund might halt its planned New York City expansion after Mamdani filmed a video at his Manhattan penthouse to announce a new tax on second-homes worth over $5 million. (The Wall Street Journal<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u2014 DELAY NOW, PAY LATER: <\/b>Mamdani\u2019s team presented Hochul\u2019s administration with a plan to delay pension fund payments in an effort to save at least $1 billion as New York City faces a multibillion-dollar budget gap. (The New York Times<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u2014 ZONE OF INTEREST:<\/b> Unions are meeting with Mamdani\u2019s administration to push for a veto of the buffer zone bill, which keeps protesters away from schools and educational facilities, as the mayor’s decision deadline nears. (THE CITY<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Missed this morning\u2019s New York Playbook? We forgive you. <\/b>Read it here<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE ISLAMAPHOBE & BLAKEMAN: As Nassau County Executive, Republican Bruce Blakeman has welcomed Muslim residents with open arms. He\u2019s eaten at their Ramadan Iftar dinners, appointed the first Muslim chaplain to the county\u2019s police force and talked about the value of Muslims as Nassau County county residents and Americans. But as he tries to win […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21781"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21781\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}