Gottheimer lashes – Rep. Josh Gottheimer criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after Mamdani faced scrutiny over a coffee shop controversy in which Poetica barred Rep. Dan Goldman from the premises over his pro-Israel views. Gottheimer said Mamdani “didn’t answer” the que
On a Wednesday morning, Rep. Josh Gottheimer pressed the issue that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani seemed to dodge: whether the politics of the moment can justify treating a member of Congress as unwelcome.
The exchange came after a clip aired during an interview on Fox News featuring Mamdani’s response to the Poetica coffee shop controversy. Gottheimer said the mayor’s answer wasn’t really an answer at all. “He didn’t answer that, right?” he said. Dana Perino, the show’s co-host, agreed, adding, “No, he blew it off. That means he is okay with it.”.
Poetica had publicly targeted Goldman during an episode that quickly spread beyond the shop’s walls. The coffee shop used its Instagram account to lambast the congressman for his pro-Israel views. branding him a “genocide enabler. ” while saying it was returning the $9.82 he spent. The post included a “sneaky picture” of Goldman inside the shop.
The wording was pointed. “Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice?” the post said in part. “Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?”
Goldman pushed back on that framing on Monday night. going on CNN and calling the coffee shop’s accusation “crazy” to accuse him of supporting a genocide. He described a pleasant interaction that undercut the shop’s claims. saying the staffer “couldn’t have been nicer. ” letting his daughter use the bathroom. He said that kindness is what led him to buy a coffee and give her a “large tip.”.
Goldman added that the Instagram post was “diametrically opposed” to the humanity shown inside the shop.
Gottheimer’s frustration sharpened when he suggested the mayor’s response would have sounded different if the target had been someone else. “Imagine that happened to somebody because they were gay or African-American or something else, we would rightly be outraged,” he said.
He then laid out what he planned to do in Washington. Gottheimer said he would be introducing new legislation on Wednesday titled the “No Grounds for Discrimination Act,” which he said will “remind” people that it is against the law to discriminate against people based on “who they are.”
“Some of my colleagues have forgotten how we should never stand for that or allow that in the Democrat or Republican Party,” Gottheimer added. “It’s totally unacceptable in our great country to treat people that way.”
The controversy also spread through details about Poetica’s public image online. Washington Free Beacon reporter Jon Levine pointed out that Poetica’s website celebrates its “radical hospitality. ” and said its “door is open to everyone.” Levine’s point—reflected in how the episode played out—was that Goldman and other Israel supporters appeared to be treated as exceptions.
For Goldman, the week didn’t stop with the coffee shop. On Tuesday night, his political footing took another hit: he lost to Mamdani-backed challenger Brad Lander (D) in the Democratic primary.
Josh Gottheimer Zohran Mamdani Dan Goldman Poetica coffee shop controversy Fox News Dana Perino No Grounds for Discrimination Act Democratic primary Brad Lander