A match made in hell: The Columbia University student activist detained over the weekend by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials has lawyered up. When Mahmoud Khalil appeared in federal court on Wednesday (spoiler alert: the Obama-nominated judge, Jesse Furman, temporarily halted his deportation), he was represented by, among others, a fellow Columbia graduate by the name of Ramzi Kassem. The Free Beacon’s Alana Goodman reports:
Kassem has represented terrorists including Ahmed al-Darbi, an al Qaeda member convicted in 2017 for the bombing of a French oil tanker, as well as several other Guantanamo Bay detainees, including a "close associate" of Osama bin Laden. He went on to serve as an immigration policy adviser to former president Joe Biden as a member of the White House's Domestic Policy Council.
Like his new client, Kassem was also involved in anti-Israel activism as a student at Columbia, where he lobbied to rename a sandwich called the "Israeli wrap" in the student dining hall, claiming the terminology was offensive to Muslims. He attended Columbia Law School on a fellowship funded by Paul Soros, the elder brother of Democratic megadonor George Soros.
A match made in hell, part two: Columbia University and Barnard College students are rallying support for their friend Khalil—including "Squad" member Ilhan Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi. The Free Beacon’s Jessica Costescu reports:
Isra Hirsi, the daughter of "Squad" member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.), championed a fundraiser supporting Mahmoud Khalil, the student activist and foreign national facing deportation by the Trump administration over his pro-Hamas campus organizing.
The online fundraiser was launched after Immigration and Customs Enforcement took Khalil into custody Saturday night after the State Department revoked his visa and green card. By Wednesday afternoon, the fundraiser had raised nearly $270,000, surpassing its $250,000 goal and prompting administrators to set a new target of $500,000.
Hirsi, a far-left activist, anti-Israel agitator, and Barnard College senior, posted a screenshot of the fundraiser with a link to the webpage on her Instagram story Tuesday afternoon, which at the time had raised about $115,000.
The money "will help Mahmoud and his family’s urgent and evolving needs as we work to secure his release and support his family during this incredibly difficult time," according to the fundraising page. The funds will go toward Khalil’s legal defense, secure bail if he becomes eligible for release, assist his family, and cover medical expenses. They will also bankroll "long-term justice efforts" to "hold those responsible for his unlawful detention accountable."
READ MORE: Ilhan Omar’s Daughter Promotes Fundraiser For Pro-Hamas Activist in ICE Custody
Trump wants to negotiate with Iran. The feeling isn’t mutual. "The White House on Wednesday reaffirmed its threat to take military action against Iran if the country does not consent to negotiations on its contested nuclear weapons program, ratcheting up pressure just a day after Tehran’s hardline leadership categorically rejected diplomatic overtures from the Trump administration," the Free Beacon’s Adam Kredo reports.
"To reiterate, President Trump said it clearly that there are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily or by making a deal," White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes told the Washington Free Beacon. "We hope the Iran Regime puts its people and best interests ahead of terror."
Tehran, however, says it has no interest in negotiating with America. Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei was defiant on Wednesday when he promised to retaliate if the United States resorted to military force.
"Iran does not seek war, but if the Americans and their cohorts do a damn thing whatsoever, Iran's retaliation is decisive and definite, and the one who will be the loser would be America," Khamenei said during a meeting with Iranian university students on Wednesday. "Iran is capable of dealing a blow to the aggressor and will definitely hit it back."
Then again, Israel did allegedly wipe out Iran’s air defenses in a single day, so the mullahs may be a little vulnerable…
READ MORE: Iran Rejects Trump’s Diplomacy, Setting Up Showdown as War Talk Escalates
Finally, Jake Tapper was widely denounced when he promoted his forthcoming book about how Joe Biden and his Democratic allies plotted to cover up "evidence of his serious decline," given that Tapper himself contributed to the cover-up. The book won’t be released until May, but our Andrew Stiles has exclusive portions on the sinister plot to protect Biden that we’ll be publishing until then. Here’s a preview of the first, titled "The Kabul Catastrophe."
President Joe Biden sat hunched at the head of the table. He puzzled over his daily brief, now delivered in the form of a sound book for toddlers. "A is for Afghan—A is for—A is for—A is for—A—A—A—A is for Afghanistan." It drove his aides crazy, but they also knew the sacrifice was worth it. For the moment, at least, this diminished man they had taken to calling "the commander in corpse" would be too occupied to follow up on his latest obsession: filming a "hot sex tape" with Dr. Jill. Among the senior advisers, only Hunter had taken it seriously, but the first son had other things on his mind today.
"Dunkirk," Hunter said, slapping the table with authority. "We can do what they did in Dunkirk." He had recently seen the Christopher Nolan film, he explained.
"Brilliant," the president replied. "D is for Dunkirk. Where's the secretary of defense?"
READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: The Most Explosive Revelations From Jake Tapper's New Book About Biden's Decline (Part 1)
Our full Thursday lineup is below.