New Jersey Rep.-elect Adam Hamawy declined to call Iran an adversary during a CNN exchange, while Fox News has highlighted his past volunteer work with a charity later tied by U.S. authorities to al‑Qaeda.
On CNN, Hamawy resists the ‘adversary’ label
The Gateway Pundit, citing the New York Post and a CNN segment, reports that Hamawy “repeatedly refused to describe Iran as an ‘adversary.’” According to that account, when asked if Tehran is an adversary, Hamawy replied, “We push[ed] them into a fight. And so I think we both have to step back and say, ‘Is this helping either one of us?’” He was quoted as adding, “We’re making adversaries when we should be making friends.”
The Gateway Pundit says CNN anchor Pamela Brown referenced Iranians chanting “Death to America” and attacks on Americans over decades. In response, Hamawy said, “We’ve been saying death to Iran for decades as well,” and, “what we need to do is use diplomacy,” per the same reporting.
RNC Research posted a clip of the exchange on X on Nov. 10, 2026.
Fox highlights earlier work with charity later tied to al‑Qaeda
Fox News reported that Hamawy, a plastic surgeon and former U.S. Army medical officer, “faced questions on the campaign trail” about his past volunteer work with the Benevolence International Foundation (BIF), a Chicago-based charity that federal authorities later identified as providing financial and logistical support to al‑Qaeda. Fox said Hamawy won roughly 70% of the vote in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District.
The Gateway Pundit summarizes Fox’s reporting as “past ties to an al Qaeda-linked group,” referring to the U.S. designation of BIF after Hamawy’s reported volunteer work.
Flight 93 context raised by source
The Gateway Pundit asserts that Hamawy will represent the district where Flight 93 passenger Todd Beamer lived. Separately, Townhall published a June piece recounting Beamer’s role on Sept. 11, 2001, including his “Let’s roll” words and efforts by passengers to retake the aircraft before it crashed in Pennsylvania; the article also mentioned Beamer’s watch recovered from the crash site.
What we can and cannot verify from the supplied source
All details above are drawn from The Gateway Pundit’s article and its cited outlets (the New York Post, Fox News, CNN, and an RNC Research clip). The specific language used by Hamawy and CNN’s anchor is attributed as reported by those sources.
