Republican U.S. House candidate James Hayes told Outside the Beltway host John Fredericks on Thursday that Representative Summer Lee (D-PA-12) is “alienating whole communities” with her positions on Israel and “anti-police agenda” that leaves communities less safe.
Hayes told Fredericks, who is publisher of The Pennsylvania Daily Star, that Lee’s public remarks caused new excitement and enthusiasm for his Republican candidacy in the district that President Joe Biden carried with a 20-point margin.
“She’s just done a great job of alienating whole communities of constituents,” said Hayes. He told Fredericks that after introducing himself as Lee’s opponents during political events, “You see people really perk up, really enthusiastic about the campaign.”
Hayes (pictured above) told Fredericks the interest is largely driven by Lee’s stance on Israel and policing.
“We know what she’s said about Israel being apartheid and a racist country,” said Hayes, likely referencing Lee’s vote against a bill stating specifically stated Israel was neither a racist nor an apartheid state.
On the social media platform X, Lee last month also shared a post by Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), who claimed specifically, “The apartheid government of Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians.”
Hayes also noted that Lee was one of the U.S. House “Squad” members who wore black-and white scarves that Axios reported were “symbols of support for Palestinian nationalism” and offered a “cold shoulder” to President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address in March.
“She boycotted the Netanyahu speech,” added Hayes, though Lee has claimed her absence was not meant to convey a message.
Lee has also called the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) “an existential threat to the Black community and its right to self [determination],” and defended the remarks to German-owned Politico in December 2023.
Hayes said, “She’s alienating a significant part of the community there.”
Beyond supporters of Israel and Jewish members of the 12th Congressional District, Hayes said Lee’s “anti-police agenda” earned the Democrat other enemies.
“She pushes this anti-police agenda, which is making the community less safe,” Hayes told Fredericks.
He stated, “She doesn’t go into the community, so she’s alienated many of the communities in the City of Pittsburgh.”
Prior to running as a political candidate, Bloomberg reported in 2018 that Lee publicly advocated for a Pennsylvania school district to “abolish police” from its campus.
More recently, last year Lee told National Public Radio (NPR), “The question is, does policing make us safer, yes or no? And the answer is more complicated than the conversation that we’re having.”
Lee told NPR she would like to see “accountability and oversight of police departments” and stated, “I think that the police should be the last answer. It should be the last resort.”
Hayes told Fredericks that despite his lesser name recognition among Pennsylvanians, his opponent’s record makes voters receptive.
“People don’t know me as well as they should, but they certainly know Summer Lee and they know I’m the better candidate,” said Hayes.
Watch Hayes’ full appearance on Outside the Beltway:
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “James Hayes” by James Hayes.
