Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) called on longtime Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) to step aside after he made a video earlier this year with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group.
The Democratic Party has become increasingly divided about AIPAC as the casualty-heavy war in Gaza drags on, and the party has shifted its efforts to get younger people in office who are less supportive of Israel.
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“@StenyHoyer your comments are why our base thinks Democratic leaders are out of touch. It’s hard b/c I like you,” Khanna wrote on X. “But the old guard is why our numbers are in the tank! It’s time to be bold & speak this blunt truth & for a new generation to lead a rebirth of our party.”
The Democratic divide over Israel began during the earliest days of the war in Gaza, as the Left has pressed for a ceasefire or cutoff in military assistance. The lobbying group responded to Khanna’s original post, saying the California Democrat “hasn’t taken a single action that has increased the pressure on Hamas to free the hostages and surrender power.”
Khanna then replied and said Hoyer should “step aide,” later clarifying he meant “step aside” and that Hoyer should not seek reelection in 2026.
“@RepStenyHoyer did you really call @AIPAC to defend you? And you wonder why the majority of Democrats are fed up with our leaders & are done with the status quo. Step aide, make way for new leaders.”
Hoyer, who is not Jewish, has been a consistent backer of Israel and travels regularly to the Jewish state on AIPAC-sponsored trips with other members of Congress.
Khanna’s post reflects how support from AIPAC has become a wedge issue among the progressive Left. Former Rep. Cori Bush lost her reelection bid to an AIPAC-backed challenger in Missouri in 2024 and, in a fiery concession speech, vowed to tear down AIPAC. Bush launched her comeback campaign on Friday to unseat Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO).
Meanwhile, at least three House Democrats who have accepted AIPAC money from the lobbying group in previous election cycles swore off contributions. AIPAC was a top contributor to Reps. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) and Deborah Ross (D-NC), supporting their campaigns with a combined $104,000 in 2024, according to OpenSecrets, while Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) received some $2 million in contributions from its affiliated super PAC for her 2022 election bid. All three announced they would not accept further donations during the August district work period.
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Hoyer, 86, is facing younger primary challengers after some in the party have begun pushing for a new generation in Washington. At least three primary challengers have filed to run against him for Maryland’s 5th Congressional District: 35-year-old small-business owner Harry Jarin, as well as Democrats Alexis Solis and Quincy Bareebe.
Many other young Democrats have launched campaigns to challenge the status quo of longtime members, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), while calling for a changing of the guard after three Democratic members of the House died in office this year.
Hoyer has held many leadership positions since entering Congress, such as serving as the second, third, and fourth highest-ranking Democrat when he was the party’s majority leader, whip, and chairman of the Democratic Caucus. The congressman became the longest-serving member of the House from Maryland in 2007. The longtime Maryland Democrat has not announced whether he will run for reelection in 2026.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Hoyer’s office and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for comment.