Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) drew a straight line between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy.
On Saturday, police allege that Joseph Czuba brutally attacked 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume and his mother, Hanaan Shahin. The young boy was stabbed 26 times, and he died from his injuries. His mother was also stabbed dozens of times, but she survived.
The Will County Sheriff’s Office alleged in a statement that Czuba targeted the victims because they are Muslims, citing “the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis.” The Justice Department has opened a federal hate crime investigation into the brutal murder.
On Monday, Ocasio-Cortez used the heinous crime to attack DeSantis.
Specifically, the New York Democrat suggested that DeSantis’ belief that Gazans “are all anti-Semitic” is the fuel that leads to purported hate crimes like the one that stole Al-Fayoume’s young life.
“How incredibly destructive and dangerous that rhetoric is,” Ocasio-Cortez said on CNN. “We just had a 6-year-old boy stabbed 26 times this morning because of rhetoric like that.
“It is dangerous. It is unacceptable. It is reckless, and no leader in the United States of America should be amplifying a message like that,” she added.
Shockingly, CNN host Abby Phillip did not question the connection Ocasio-Cortez drew. Instead, she moved on to ask Ocasio-Cortez about the House speakership battle.
There is, of course, no evidence the perpetrator was inspired by DeSantis.
The Florida governor defended his claim about Gazans — and his opposition to accepting Gazan refugees — on Sunday by citing the fact that they voted Hamas into power and they are often seen celebrating when Hamas attacks Israel.
He also pointed to their education system.
“They teach kids to hate Jews. The textbooks do not have Israel even on the map. They prepare very young kids to commit terrorist attacks,” DeSantis said.
“So, I think it’s a toxic culture. And I think, if we were to import large numbers of those to the United States, I think it would increase antisemitism in this country, and I think it would increase anti-Americanism in this country,” he warned.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!