Rep. Mondaire Jones deletes tweet about McCarthy after criticism from fellow Democrats

Former Rep. Mondaire Jones (D) is under fire for a social media post about former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) that some have called antisemitic.

Jones, who is running to reclaim his former New York House seat, posted a photo of McCarthy and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) meeting with Jewish leaders in Rockland County, N.Y., in March on X, previously known as Twitter, with the caption, “Well that was a waste of time.”

The former lawmaker has since deleted the post, saying he regretted it.

“Yesterday, I posted a tweet that was too open to misinterpretation,” he wrote on X.  “My point was to communicate that Kevin McCarthy, and by extension Mike Lawler, cannot possibly deliver for communities in Rockland because he’s no longer Speaker.”

“Regrettably, I did not make this point clear enough, and so I have deleted the tweet. I am proud of my record of combating antisemitism in Congress and after Congress. In a time of rising anti-semitism, we must be crystal clear where we stand: I continue to be a strong ally of our diverse Jewish communities,” Jones continued.

His comments come one day after McCarthy was ousted as Speaker in a 216-210 vote, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) — with all present Democrats and eight Republicans joining forces to remove him.

Democratic Reps. Jared Moskowitz (Fla.) and Josh Gottheimer (N.J.) were quick to push back on Jones’ original post. Both congressmen have since deleted their tweets after Jones took down his.

“This was not a waste of time. It is never a waste of time to meet with religious leaders,” Moskowitz responded on X. “Additionally, I doubt your choice of religion to highlight here was coincidental.”

“This disgusting post is insulting to Jewish people and every person of faith. Meeting with religious leaders is critical to understanding the needs of our communities. This antisemitic rhetoric is deeply concerning,” Gottheimer said on X.

Moskowitz also responded to Jones’s statement on why he took down his initial post on X.

“I appreciate this clarification and removal of the tweet. With the rise of antisemitism imagery is sensitive. I want to be clear, after speaking to him I do not believe that was his intent. I appreciate his record in Congress of standing with the Jewish community in his district,” Moskowitz said.

In statement to Jewish Insider, Lawler said Jones’s comments “are shocking but not surprising for a guy who pals around with anti-Semites like Pramila Jayapal, Jamaal Bowman, and the rest of the Squad.”

Jones is facing a contentious primary against Democratic businesswoman Liz Gereghty, the sister of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), who announced her bid for the New York House seat in May. If he wins, he would be looking to unseat Lawler in the general election.

This story was updated 5:48 p.m.