‘Terrorist Sympathizer’ Mahmoud Khalil Refuses to Condemn Hamas, Wolf Blitzer Runs Cover [WATCH]

Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist previously detained by federal authorities, refused to explicitly condemn Hamas during a contentious interview Tuesday on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”

The exchange, which aired live, drew renewed criticism of Khalil’s public positions and sparked a sharp rebuke from the Department of Homeland Security.

Khalil, 30, appeared on the CNN program alongside co-anchor Pamela Brown, who repeatedly asked whether he would disavow Hamas, the U.S.-designated terrorist organization responsible for the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

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Khalil responded by condemning “the killing of all civilians, full stop,” but declined to specifically denounce Hamas.

“Do you specifically condemn Hamas, a designated terrorist organization in the United States, not just for their actions on October 7?” Brown asked.

Khalil answered, “No, I am very clear with condemning all civilians. I’m very straight in my position in that part.”

He then criticized the line of questioning, calling it “disingenuous” and accusing the network of “selective outrage.”

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“But it’s disingenuous to ask about condemning Hamas while Palestinians are the ones being starved now by Israel. It’s not condemning October 6, where 260 Palestinians were killed by Israel before October 7,” he said.

Khalil argued that a focus on Hamas diverted attention from what he described as the root causes of the conflict.

“This is not, this wouldn’t lead to a constructive conversation. And this is also, like what we want to deal with is the root cause of why that happened,” he said.

Brown responded by pointing to prior concerns raised by the Trump administration, which had accused Khalil of supporting Hamas during his time at Columbia University.

The administration cited Khalil’s role in anti-Israel demonstrations and other activities it described as “aligned to Hamas.”

In response, Khalil said his actions were solely directed at protesting the war in Gaza.

“That’s my duty as a Palestinian, as a human being right now, is to ask for the stop of the killing in my home country. And that’s consistent with who I am,” he said.

He also stated, “I’m a firm believer in international law and human rights.”

He continued, “As I said, disingenuous and absurd to ask such questions…That’s why I wouldn’t really engage much into such questions on condemnation or not. Because selective condemnations is not, wouldn’t get us anywhere. It’s just like hypocrite, to be honest.”

The exchange was ultimately ended by Wolf Blitzer when he said, “Mahmoud Khalil, you were very clear more than a year ago when you and I had an interview here on CNN in condemning antisemitism, and you were very strong in your words at that time as well.”

Khalil was arrested by federal immigration authorities on March 8 and detained for 104 days at a facility in Louisiana.

Officials in the Trump administration at the time alleged that Khalil had engaged in conduct sympathetic to Hamas, including participation in protests they considered violent.

He has since filed a $20 million lawsuit against the federal government, claiming false imprisonment and defamation, asserting that officials falsely labeled him an antisemite in a politically motivated effort to deport him.

Following the CNN interview, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement on X, rejecting Khalil’s defense and reiterating its stance.

“Mahmoud Khalil refused to condemn Hamas because he IS a terrorist sympathizer not because DHS ‘painted’ him as one,” the agency wrote.

DHS also stated that Khalil “branded” himself as an antisemite “through his own hateful behavior and rhetoric.”

“The Trump Administration acted well within its statutory and constitutional authority to detain Khalil, as it does with any alien who advocates for violence, glorifies and supports terrorists, harasses Jews, and damages property,” DHS added.

Mahmoud Khalil refuses to condemn Hamas because he IS a terrorist sympathizer not because DHS ‘painted’ him as one. He ‘branded’ himself as antisemite through his own hateful behavior and rhetoric.

It is a privilege to be granted a visa or green card to live and study in the… pic.twitter.com/nC2WCR6Dul

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) July 22, 2025

Khalil remains a permanent resident of the United States and continues to face public scrutiny over his statements and affiliations. His lawsuit against the federal government is ongoing.