PRINCETON, N.J. – New Jersey’s newest Democratic congressman-elect repeatedly declined to identify Iran as an American adversary during a remarkable CNN interview.
Adam Hamawy, who was elected last week to represent New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, faced a series of pointed questions from CNN anchor Pamela Brown about the Islamic Republic and its longstanding hostility toward the United States.
“We pushed them into a fight,” Hamawy responded when asked whether Iran was an adversary.
When Brown pressed him again, Hamawy suggested America “should be making friends” instead.
Brown pointed out that Iran’s regime has spent decades openly calling for America’s destruction.
“We’ve been saying ‘death to Iran,'” Hamawy countered.
The exchange grew even more contentious when Brown reminded the Democrat that Iran has killed numerous Americans.
“And we’ve killed a lot of them,” he replied.
Given one final opportunity to acknowledge Iran as an American adversary, Hamawy again declined.
“I see that we are pushing Iran into a fight,” he insisted.
The exchange comes just one week after Hamawy easily defeated Republican Gregg Mele in the heavily Democratic 12th District, capturing approximately 70% of the vote to Mele’s 28%, according to Decision Desk HQ’s November 5 results.
His road to Washington began with a considerably more competitive June Democratic primary. Hamawy emerged from a crowded 13-candidate field with just 28.6% of the vote (22,265 votes), defeating East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen, who finished second with 14.6%. His primary campaign benefited from support from Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and substantial outside spending.
The CNN comments are particularly noteworthy given Hamawy’s controversial past association with Omar Abdel-Rahman, the notorious “Blind Sheikh” convicted in 1995 of conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks in New York City.
Hamawy accompanied Abdel-Rahman on a trip to Detroit in 1991, served as his translator, and later testified as a defense witness during the cleric’s federal terrorism trial. The association attracted scrutiny during his congressional campaign. Hamawy has condemned terrorism and disputed suggestions that his past associations reflected support for extremism. He was never charged in connection with Abdel-Rahman’s crimes.
Hamawy is also a former Army combat surgeon who helped save the life of future U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth while serving in Iraq.
His CNN remarks nevertheless present a striking contrast: while Brown emphasized Iran’s record of threatening the United States and killing Americans, the incoming New Jersey congressman repeatedly emphasized American responsibility for the conflict rather than directly answering whether Tehran is an adversary.
Hamawy takes office in January.
Insane exchange. Newly elected Democrat Adam Hamawy refuses to call Iran an adversary.
BROWN: Do you see Iran as the adversary?
HAMAWY: “We pushed them into a fight”
BROWN: But are they the adversary?
HAMAWY: “We should be making friends”
BROWN: They’ve been saying “death to America” for decades
HAMAWY: “We’ve been saying ‘death to Iran'”
BROWN: They’ve killed a lot of Americans
HAMAWY: “And we’ve killed a lot of them”
BROWN: So you don’t see Iran as an adversary?
HAMAWY: “I see that we are pushing Iran into a fight”
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 10, 2026
