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New York Knicks champion calls out Taylor Swift as the 'fakest fan' from MSG's celebrity row
If there is one cardinal sin in modern America, it is daring to question Taylor Swift. Trash a politician, start a bar fight, or get ejected on live TV, and you will survive the week. But suggest music's biggest billionaire is a bandwagon fan? Good luck.
Enter Knicks guard Tyler Kolek. During an NBA 2K stream on TikTok with teammate Deuce McBride, the two were asked to name the fakest celebrity fan they ran into during New York's historic title run.
Most athletes would sweat the answer and name a random influencer. But Kolek aimed right at the throne.
ESPN'S MONICA MCNUTT APOLOGIZES TO TAYLOR SWIFT, BUT HER COMMENTARY FOLLOWS AN UGLY TREND
"Maybe Taylor Swift?" Kolek said. "I don't know if I've seen her at any other games."
"I would agree. Swifties not gonna like that answer," Deuce McBride responded.
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Kolek continued, "Everyone else is usually solid. Like Ben Stiller, Tracy Morgan; I guess she's got a lot going on, so she can't come all the time."
And with that, the friendship bracelet mob is already mobilizing. But Kolek hit the bullseye.
NFL LEGEND EMMITT SMITH DEFENDS TAYLOR SWIFT AS HER PRESENCE AT GAMES DRAWS IRE OF FOOTBALL FANS
Taylor showing up to the baseline with the HAIM sisters in punny "Stevie Knicks" shirts was textbook performative branding. It had nothing to do with New York basketball; it was all about hijacking the spotlight. NFL fans have spent seasons getting hit with broadcast cutaways every three plays, so Taylor Swift could chest-bump Brittany Mahomes in a luxury suite and pretend she had been braving freezing wind chills at Arrowhead Stadium her whole life.
Swifties are already melting down in Kolek's mentions, but the kid called it like he saw it. If you skipped five decades of pure misery, don't show up for the ring.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Indiana, Florida and Alabama carry out rare US triple execution day
Indiana, Florida and Alabama each put a man to death Thursday, the second time this year that three inmates were executed in the U.S. the same day.
The first triple execution this year took place Aug. 13, when Oklahoma, Tennessee and Alabama executed inmates within hours of each other. Before Aug. 13, the last time three executions were carried out in the U.S. on the same day was Jan. 7, 2010.
On Thursday, Indiana officials put to death the first inmate of the day when it executed Jeffrey Weisheit, 50, for setting a 2010 house fire that killed his girlfriend's two children, ages 8 and 5, as the couple's relationship deteriorated. He was pronounced dead at 12:45 a.m. at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City after receiving a lethal injection.
His attorneys sought permission for additional brain scans, arguing that his history of head injuries and mental health problems warranted further examination. Republican Gov. Mike Braun denied the request. Braun also rejected appeals to commute Weisheit's death sentence to life in prison.
INDIANA EXECUTES MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING 2 CHILDREN AS MORE US EXECUTIONS LOOM THURSDAY
Weisheit's lawyers had also raised separate concerns about Indiana's planned use of execution drugs obtained from a pharmacy facing a disciplinary hearing before the Indiana Pharmacy Board next week.
But the Indiana Department of Correction maintained it was confident in its ability to carry out the execution "humanely." After the execution, Braun said Weisheit's case had undergone repeated reviews in state and federal courts.
"These reviews have never resulted in an overturned sentence," Braun said in a statement. "Today, Weisheit's sentence has been carried out as ordered by the court."
The execution provided "long-awaited justice for Alyssa Lynch and her brother Caleb, two innocent children whose lives were stolen in an act of unspeakable cruelty," Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said.
In Florida, Jesse Guardado, 64, was executed after confessing and pleading guilty to fatally stabbing a 75-year-old woman who had helped him find a job and housing in 2004. Guardado killed Jackie Malone inside her home before stealing her jewelry box, $80 and other items to fund his drug addiction.
Guardado was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke.
Florida's latest execution matched last year's state record total of 19 inmates put to death in a single year.
Florida has ramped up executions after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a series of death warrants since 2025. The state's 19 executions last year was more than under any other Florida governor in a single year since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. Those executions accounted for roughly 40% of the 47 carried out nationwide in 2025.
FLORIDA PUTS 77-YEAR-OLD MAN TO DEATH FOR DEPUTY'S MURDER AS STATE CLOSES IN ON EXECUTION RECORD
The Sunshine State has also accounted for more than half of the 35 executions carried out nationwide, which includes Thursday's executions. In July, Florida executed two prisoners on the same day, the first double execution by a single state in nearly a decade.
Alabama capped off the triple execution day by putting Michael Taylor, 54, to death for the 1991 murders of an older couple who were beaten to death with a metal bar during a robbery inside their home. Authorities caught Taylor in Birmingham, about an hour away, with the victims' Cadillac.
Taylor was executed by lethal injection after a judge ruled against his attorneys' objections to the method. Taylor had previously requested execution by nitrogen gas, and his attorneys sought to preserve that choice.
His attorneys said he "knew the depth of the harm he caused" and "grieved it for the rest of his life." They also said he became a changed man while behind bars, saying, "Michael’s life was proof that God isn’t finished with any of us. Tonight we pray that both families find peace, and we deeply mourn the loss of Michael."
Death penalty opponents had urged Republican Gov. Kay Ivey to commute Taylor's sentence to life in prison, arguing that he was too young and immature at 19 to fully understand the consequences of his actions.
But the governor declined to stop the execution. Ivey issued a statement on Thursday night describing his actions as "reprehensible."
"Thirty-five years ago yesterday, Ivan and Lucille Moore kindly opened their home to Michael Taylor. Mr. Taylor repaid the Moores by beating them to death with a metal bar, all to rob them for money to buy clothing and jewelry," she said.
The victims' family thanked the state attorney general's office for bringing closure to the case but expressed disappointment for having to wait 35 years to see the death sentence carried out.
"We know that a person has the right to appeal, but there should come a time when the jury’s decision is final. For all these years, our family has had to live with the waiting, the delays, and the uncertainty," the statement read. "We have never forgotten our loved ones or what was taken from us."
The executions come amid renewed scrutiny of lethal injection procedures following a failed execution attempt in Tennessee, where death row inmate Christa Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital and was rushed to a hospital in late September. She has since been released from the hospital and returned to prison.
Thursday's executions came on the same day California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he is seeking to commute all 548 death sentences in the Golden State to life without parole, though 382 of the commutations require a recommendation from the California Supreme Court, saying he believes "state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values, undermines the foundations of our legal system, and diminishes each of us."
Newsom, who put a moratorium on executions in the state in 2019, said he "knew we cannot execute people in our imperfect legal system and remain true to our core values, the first among them justice and human decency."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
MLB outfielder Anthony Santander faces backlash over Abdul El-Sayed video, Blue Jays respond
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander violated the unwritten rules of modern sports culture this week by questioning a key Democratic win, sparking an immediate backlash that sent him rushing to delete two post-midterm clips.
The first clip Santander shared featured a preacher claiming Islam is "driven by war" and that there is "no such thing as kind Muslims."
The second video raised a separate issue. It focused on Michigan's U.S. Senate race, won by Democrat Abdulrahim El-Sayed, questioning the influence of Sharia principles and how that doctrine misaligns with the U.S. Constitution.
UNEARTHED CLIP EXPOSES CLASH BETWEEN EL-SAYED AND EX-GOP RIVAL: 'MUSLIMS DEFINITELY HATE YOU'
Nobody gets a pass in American politics, and asking how a newly elected leader views the law is entirely legitimate.
Santander, a native of Margarita, Venezuela, watched political movements systematically transform his home country's legal institutions and economy.
From that perspective, questioning fundamental ideological shifts in religion and politics is second nature for someone who watched his homeland unravel.
It is also hard to imagine Santander facing anywhere near this level of pushback had the video targeted Christianity, but that selective outrage is nothing new.
But mainstream media coverage avoids the political question entirely and uses the preacher's remarks to dismiss any scrutiny of newly elected lawmakers and mock Santander for objecting.
As calls for team action grew, the Toronto Blue Jays addressed the matter without issuing an apology on Santander's behalf or handing down discipline.
Their statement read, "Baseball is for everyone, and the Blue Jays have created an inclusive experience where all fans feel welcome at our ballpark. Individual comments do not represent our organization’s values and beliefs."
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The front office restated its ballpark policy, established that Santander spoke for himself, and moved on.
On the field, Santander already faces significant pressure.
After signing a five-year, $92.5 million deal before 2025, injuries limited him to 54 games. He missed the entire 2026 season following left shoulder surgery, with three years and over $57 million remaining on his contract.
His priority heading into 2027 needs to be getting healthy and producing at the plate. But the reaction to his posts shows how quickly real questions about governance get erased when an athlete delivers them without discipline.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Chargers coach Mike McDaniel makes major change to try and spark offense amid dreadful start to season
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Well, the winless Los Angeles Chargers are not going to do the same thing anymore.
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is going to start calling plays from the booth instead of the sideline amid his unit’s tremendous struggles. The Chargers haven’t scored a touchdown on 27 straight drives, a drought spanning nine quarters.
"One of the things I want to try is call plays from the box to kind of see adjustments for myself and communicate with position coaches appropriately what things we can focus on between series," McDaniel told reporters Thursday.
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With McDaniel calling the plays for star quarterback Justin Herbert, many thought the Chargers would have one of the best offenses in football entering the season. Instead, the Chargers' offense has had minimal voltage.
The Chargers have scored just 14.1 points per game, the fewest in the NFL. McDaniel said the one thing coaches lose by working in the booth is face-to-face communication on the sideline, but he trusts the position coaches to set the tone.
"Seems like a good action to take based on how things have gone this year, and realistically something that I’ve only brought up because I’m very confident in the rest of the offensive coaching staff and how they’re able to set the tone and communicate information on the sidelines," McDaniel said.
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The former Miami Dolphins head coach hasn’t coached from the booth since he was the offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers in 2021. He compared sitting in the booth to watching film.
"It’s like watching tape. You train yourself over time to see the game on the field. One of the reasons I stand behind the ball so far is so that I can try to get a visual of all 22 [players], because [otherwise] you’re so close to the ball you can kind of have your periphery shut out," McDaniel said.
"That’s not the case from the box. In an ideal world, if all things are equal and there’s no negative from not being on the field, you can see the game better from up there."
The beleaguered offensive coordinator had better hope the change works because he is squarely on the hot seat. McDaniel said head coach Jim Harbaugh approved the switch.
The 0-7 Chargers will look to earn their first win of the season when they face the 2-4 Houston Texans on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET.
'The View' co-host confronts Abdul El-Sayed on his response to attack on Jewish Synagogue
"The View" co-host Sara Haines pressed Michigan Senator-elect Abdul-El Sayed about his response to an attack on a Jewish synagogue in the state and his delay in apologizing for his comments.
On March 12, a man drove a truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township and exchanged gunfire with security personnel before killing himself, according to authorities.
El-Sayed condemned the attack but drew criticism for subsequently saying, "Hurt people hurt people," referring to the attacker's relatives who had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon.
ABDUL EL-SAYED HITS BACK AT ISRAEL QUESTIONS, SUGGESTS HIS NAME AND FAITH ARE BEHIND PRESS SCRUTINY
"Your response, that ‘Hurt people hurt people’ after the Temple Israel attack in Michigan in March really stuck with a lot of people," Haines said.
"And you did apologize for that. But it took you a while to. It took about five months to seemingly understand why that landed wrong with people and voters and constituents. You know, do you think that leaders have a responsibility to challenge the extremist views in their own religion, especially considering you're the first Muslim senator of the United States?" she asked.
"Yeah, well, I really appreciate that question," El-Sayed said. "And I agree with you entirely that we want to live in a world where faith is something that's used to uplift all of us, rather than to justify the worst human actions that sometimes drag us down."
He recalled having visited the temple after the attack and having been there for a bar mitzvah in his youth.
"You know, I condemned it immediately, and I wanted to offer context, but ... you know, when people are hurting, context is secondary, and I just should have stood with their pain. And I learned from that experience. And I'm not above apologizing when I make a mistake," he said.
El-Sayed continued and said he had tried to "offer context around the fact that that individual had lost a child, niece and nephew in an airstrike. And I want us to be thinking a little bit about, A, how we demonstrate our ability as leaders to stand with people's pain with no exceptions and no asterisks around them. And also be able to have an adult conversation about the ways in which actions ricochet around the world and create worse for all of us."
'THE VIEW' CO-HOSTS DEFEND EL-SAYED COMPARING HIMSELF TO JFK OVER MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SCRUTINY
"I respect that. I just think that if that had been done anywhere near what I believed, I would be so furiously enraged that they would use the words that I have led my life with to hurt people that way," Haines said. "And that was young kids. So, I just was surprised it took a minute for you to understand that part."
"I hear you on that," El-Sayed said.
"Better late than never," co-host Joy Behar said.
Jesse Arm, a vice president at the Manhattan Institute and a pollster originally from Michigan, told Fox News Digital, "Imagine an American politician responding to Dylann Roof’s massacre of Black worshipers at Bible study by saying ‘Hurt people hurt people,’ then asking us to consider the killer’s grievances. That politician would rightly be run out of American public life."
"Why should the standard be any different when the targets are Jewish children and the attacker is an Islamist?" Arm continued. "El-Sayed’s comments were grotesque, and this interview compounds the problem. He’s still presenting his mistake as a matter of timing as though the same rationalization would have been acceptable once the victims had time to grieve. The problem wasn’t when he offered it. The problem was suggesting that events overseas somehow mitigate responsibility for trying to massacre Americans at home."
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"Whatever someone has suffered, there is no justification for attacking a synagogue full of children. None," Arm wrote.
"Americans deserve leaders who can say that without pivoting to the terrorist’s pain. Our politics is in a dangerous place when that basic moral clarity becomes negotiable depending on the identities of the attacker and the intended victims," he continued.
Tom Jones 'thought this was it' following week-long hospital stay for pneumonia
Sir Tom Jones thought he was going to die after a medical scare last week.
The 86-year-old music icon recalled the trauma from his illness while appearing on stage for his rescheduled concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles Wednesday.
"I thought this was it. You had a wonderful life, Tommy, but it’s over right now," Jones told the crowd, according to the New York Post and BBC.
LIONEL RICHIE HOSPITALIZED AFTER OPENING NIGHT HEALTH SCARE TRIGGERS CONCERT CANCELLATIONS
The "She's a Lady" singer was reportedly rushed to UCLA Medical Center after coming down with pneumonia, which he initially believed to be symptoms of the flu.
"And then they had to get the paramedics in, and I was like, ‘I can’t breathe,’" he said.
CELINE DION BREAKS DOWN ONSTAGE DURING EMOTIONAL RETURN AFTER 6-YEAR HIATUS
Jones revealed he was in the hospital for a week, including two days in the ICU, and, upon being discharged from UCLA, doctors asked the singer what he wanted to do now that he was healthy again.
"I have to get back on the stage," Jones recalled. "This is where I belong. I can't live without it, believe me. This is true."
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After the audience erupted in cheers, the crooner reflected on his first stint at the Greek in 1969, just before "It's Not Unusual" became his first No. 1 hit.
"This song really changed my life," he said.
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The show was initially slated for the end of October but rescheduled due to his health concerns.
"I've had a great time these last few weeks, completing 20 shows and singing for wonderful audiences across the USA, but unexpectedly I've been hit with a bad case of the flu," he wrote online last month.
"Following doctor's advice, I unfortunately have to reschedule tonight's show in Los Angeles and tomorrow's show in San Diego."
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He added, "I'm truly sorry for any inconvenience caused. I look forward to seeing you all soon."
Jones embarked on his 25-date Come Gather Round tour in September after a successful run in England over the summer.
The Welsh singer became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1998 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2006.
Fox News bests MS NOW, CNN as most-watched cable news network on 2026 midterm election night
Fox News Channel was America's most-watched cable news network Tuesday night as results from the 2026 midterm elections rolled in.
According to the final Nielsen election night rating data, Fox News bested both CNN and MS NOW with an average of 4.3 million total viewers during primetime.
CNN came in second with 4.1 million total average viewers. MS NOW marked the network's first major election night since its rebranding by finishing third with 3.7 million total average viewers.
FOX, USVETS RENEW 'MAKE CAMO YOUR CAUSE' CAMPAIGN DEDICATED TO ENDING VETERAN HOMELESSNESS
Fox News also thrived in the digital landscape on election night. Fox News Digital had double-digit spikes in key metrics across the board during coverage of the midterms.
Fox News also registered 3.3 million social media interactions across social media platforms, including Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok, according to Emplifi and Comscore Social. Fox News also reached 15.4 million YouTube video views, according to Emplifi.
FOX NEWS CONTINUES CABLE NEWS LEAD OVER MS NOW, CNN IN OCTOBER VIEWERSHIP
"Fox News Democracy 26" was co-anchored by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. They were joined throughout the night by Dana Perino, Brit Hume, Harold Ford Jr., Bill Hemmer, Sandra Smith, Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity and other Fox News personalities.
President Donald Trump also called in and spoke with Baier and MacCallum with his reaction to the midterm results.
Democrats had a historic night, retaking both the House and Senate in what's been widely described as a blue tsunami.
While recapturing the House was expected, Democrats stunned with Senate pickups in states like South Carolina, Texas, Kansas and Iowa.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is poised to become the first Black speaker of the House. It is unclear whether Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will have enough votes in his caucus to reclaim the title of Senate majority leader after several newly elected Democrats previously said they won't back him.
Super Bowl champion wide receiver Rashee Rice files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, reports $3.45 million in debt
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in federal court Wednesday, according to federal court records.
The Super Bowl champion filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas and reported more than $3.45 million in debt. The 26-year-old claimed $2.1 million of that debt stemmed from lawsuits.
Rice was sued by multiple victims of a 2024 high-speed, multicar crash in Dallas. He is also being sued by an ex-girlfriend who alleges he assaulted her between 2023 and 2025.
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Rice listed his Super Bowl LVIII ring, valued at $160,000, as collateral with Thomas McMurray, his attorney in the pending civil litigation, according to court documents.
OutKick reached out to McMurray, the Chiefs, and Rice's bankruptcy attorney for comment but did immediately get a response from any of them.
When Rice was drafted, he signed a four-year, $6,495,208 contract with the Chiefs. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is intended for "individuals who have financial difficulty preventing them from paying their debts and who are willing to allow their non-exempt property to be used to pay their creditors," according to Rice's bankruptcy filing.
RAVENS ANNOUNCER & NFL LEGEND ROD WOODSON TELLS CRAIG HIS SHOCKING KKK STORY - LISTEN NOW
According to the documents, Rice reported $677,054 in personal assets , including $421,825 in "deferred compensation." Rice owes his largest creditor $979,837 as part of a 2025 civil settlement related to the crash, according to the documents.
The documents show Rice disputes certain debts associated with the pending civil lawsuits. Victims of the 2024 crash filed lawsuits seeking a combined $700,000, while his ex-girlfriend filed a lawsuit seeking $200,000 over the alleged assault.
Rice reported renting a residence and listed $39,241 in nonexempt personal assets, according to the documents. He also reported $13,640 in checking accounts.
Rice has been limited to five games this season because of an injury. He has 20 receptions for 243 yards and two touchdowns.
Affordability drove Baltimore voters to approve measure giving 'direct cash' to new mothers
Baltimore voters approved a ballot measure Tuesday to establish a taxpayer-funded program providing cash assistance to new and expectant parents as families across the country grapple with affordability concerns.
The measure, listed on the November ballot as Question I, amends the Baltimore City Charter to create a dedicated, permanent line item in the municipal budget for the Baltimore Baby Fund.
It passed by roughly a 70-30 margin after organizers submitted more than the 10,000 valid signatures required to qualify for the vote.
Under the approved charter amendment, the city must allocate 3 cents per $100 of assessed taxable property value directly into the dedicated fund, which is expected to generate approximately $17 million in its first year.
FORMER CALIFORNIA MAYOR PUSHES GUARANTEED INCOME AS FIX FOR AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
According to the mayor's office, all Baltimore City newborns enrolled in the program will be eligible for a one-time cash payment. Eligible expectant and new parents may receive additional financial assistance, such as a one-time cash payment during pregnancy or monthly cash assistance and other forms of support.
The Baltimore City Council will retain authority over specific disbursement rules and eligibility criteria through future enabling legislation.
The initiative was championed by grassroots organizers with the Maryland Child Alliance alongside Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, who serves as a national co-chair of Mayors for Guaranteed Income.
"We aren’t surprised that Baltimore voters saw the value in a baby fund to offer new parents direct cash," Shafeka Hashash, director of cash initiatives at the Economic Security Project (ESP), told Fox News Digital.
The ESP, an organization that has backed the creation of dozens of guaranteed income programs nationwide, pointed to mounting cost-of-living pressures facing American families as a primary catalyst for direct cash initiatives.
"Right now, as the cost of the basics like groceries, gas, healthcare and childcare continues to rise, paychecks haven’t kept up, and families can’t make ends meet," Hashash said.
"Then, for new parents, the affordability crisis is compounded by an increase in new costs; this is why poverty rises 45% from the last month of pregnancy to the first month after birth."
PRO-LIFE VS SOCIALISM: GOP LAWMAKERS DIVIDED OVER CONTROVERSIAL GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAMS
Hashash noted that direct financial support provides immediate relief during a critical transition window for families.
"In that exact critical moment, direct cash can cover everyday essentials like diapers or a new crib, or it can offer relief on the bigger financial strains, like the maternity ward bills or daycare payment," Hashash added.
"Voters understood this policy implicitly because it’s simple, and we know it will be efficient and effective. We are excited to see how Baltimore benefits with this new resource for families."
According to Baltimore public radio station WYPR, Emily Yu, campaign manager for the effort, praised the grassroots momentum behind the measure.
"We are public servants and community members that wanted to make this happen, and it's pretty unbelievable that we made it happen," Yu reportedly said.
"But it just speaks to the people power in Baltimore City. Clearly, there's an appetite for it, so I would encourage other groups to do the same."
Advocates with national guaranteed income coalitions also celebrated the ballot outcome.
"People are excited about the idea of cash for new and expecting families because it works. We heard from Americans loud and clear on Tuesday that families across the political spectrum are concerned about two things: affordability and healthcare," Tegan Lecheler, national program director of the Mother & Infant Cash Coalition, told Fox News Digital.
Founded in 2023, the Mother & Infant Cash Coalition grew out of a broader movement toward direct financial support for young families. Lecheler, who previously managed operations with The Bridge Project, an unrestricted cash transfer initiative launched in 2021 operating across multiple states, noted that momentum for direct cash assistance built rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lecheler argued that providing cash directly to families demonstrates that local governments are responsive to constituents' needs.
"Programs giving cash to new families address both, and this ballot measure's passage is a clear example of government delivering results and being responsive to the concerns of constituents. The affordability crisis isn't something that gets left at home. It comes with voters to the voting booth. Politicians that listen and prioritize the issues that Americans face every day will likely continue to be successful," Lecheler said.
The ballot measure builds on previous direct cash programs in the city.
Mayor Scott previously oversaw the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund, a pilot program that operated from August 2022 to July 2024. The program provided unconditional monthly payments of $1,000 to 200 low-income parents ages 18 to 24 earning at or below 300% of the federal poverty level using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Campaign manager Emily Yu and Mayor Brandon Scott did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Vance ‘privately’ blasts Netanyahu as Iran war divides Trump administration and 2028 ambitions loom
Vice President JD Vance privately accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being "wrong on everything" about the Iran war, according to reports, as disagreements over the conflict expose tensions within the Trump administration and raise questions about Vance's potential 2028 presidential ambitions.
The clash, reported by Axios Nov. 4., comes after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections and Vance publicly blamed the war for the party's defeat while urging President Donald Trump to pursue a negotiated settlement rather than renewed military strikes.
"The reason we lost is the war," Vance wrote later on Wednesday on X.
VANCE'S SCATHING IRAN WAR POSTMORTEM PUTS POTENTIAL 2028 GOP SHOWDOWN IN FOCUS: 'EVERYONE KNOWS WHY'
"Low-level hostility between Vance and Netanyahu is beneficial for Vance," Natan Sachs, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital.
"It allows him to give some distance from the Trump administration, which has just taken a huge electoral beating, but also to position himself ... in a very different position than President Trump himself without attacking Trump."
Vance has also led a faction of senior administration officials urging Trump to negotiate an end to the conflict, warning that the unpopular war could cost Republicans control of Congress, according to reports.
Netanyahu had urged Trump to resume strikes against Iran ahead of the midterms, but Trump held off after endorsing Netanyahu for re-election in Israel.
Sachs said Vance's main concern appeared to be the prospect of overthrowing Iran’s government after Netanyahu presented Trump with a plan for regime change.
"Many opposition leaders in Israel, nonetheless, are very skeptical of the idea that you can bring about regime change through an air campaign," Sachs said, adding that such a campaign could have the opposite effect.
"You may strengthen the regime."
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Vance had also declined to endorse Netanyahu’s re-election campaign and criticized Israeli government officials who opposed Trump's efforts to end the Iran war.
The Israeli election further complicated the relationship, Sachs said, leaving Netanyahu's political future uncertain and raising the possibility that Vance could have to work with a different Israeli leader.
NETANYAHU DEFIES EXIT POLLS AS VOTE SHIFTS IN HIS FAVOR, BUT MAJORITY REMAINS ELUSIVE
"If Netanyahu is not the leader of Israel, Vance will find himself with another decision to make. Does he continue with a line that is confrontational with a new Israeli leadership, or does he say, 'Well, it was all Netanyahu; now we can see a different path forward'?" Sachs said.
"Netanyahu is a very easy target here, both because there are very real differences of opinion, and Netanyahu's role was important, but also because this way he can criticize the war, criticize Netanyahu, and not say any bad word about Trump."
Roughly six in 10 voters said U.S. military action against Iran was the wrong decision, according to the AP Voter Poll.
"I think what's remarkable here is that it's coming out now," Sachs said. "And it's part of the fact that about midnight Wednesday, the next presidential campaign in the United States began, and JD Vance is trying to position himself.
"He is breaking with the policy of President Trump, although he's doing so by criticizing Netanyahu, never Trump."
VANCE REVEALS THE TRUMP DILEMMA THAT COULD COMPLICATE HIS 2028 WHITE HOUSE AMBITIONS
Nonetheless, Vance has played a leading role in efforts to end the conflict with Iran, including direct outreach to senior Iranian officials.
Last month, he sent a letter through Qatari intermediaries to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, proposing renewed peace negotiations.
According to Axios, the letter said any negotiations to prevent further U.S. military strikes must address Iran's nuclear program. A U.S. official said Trump backed the outreach. Rezaei later confirmed receiving the letter but said he had not responded.
"My suspicion is that JD Vance was operating on behalf of Trump on this," Sachs claimed.
"Trump, after the war sort of settled after the first few weeks, appointed Vice President Vance to try and negotiate the exit strategy, and Vance has been very keen on that."
Sachs also cited Vance's involvement in an earlier memorandum of understanding with Iran as further evidence of his preference for diplomacy.
"He agreed to the MOU, which has become quite notorious in the United States, giving quite a bit to the Iranians, much more than the administration is now considering reasonable.
"Vance has certainly been on the side that has been trying to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough."
The White House is now weighing whether to resume major strikes against Iran, maintain economic and naval pressure or pursue a negotiated settlement.
On Thursday, Reuters reported that Tehran submitted a formal nuclear proposal to the United States through Qatari intermediaries, making further negotiations contingent on Washington addressing its seven demands.
"The real question is whether the Americans and the Iranians can approach some kind of agreement on the fundamentals, starting with freedom of navigation in the Straits of Hormuz and the cessation of hostilities," Sachs said.
For Vance, the dispute poses a political balancing act of distancing himself from a war he reportedly opposed while serving as vice president in the administration that launched it.
"He was against the war, so it would seem, but of course, he's vice president in the administration that went to war," Sachs said, describing it as a "very difficult balancing act for him electorally."