Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat from New York and a member of the so-called “Squad,” has come under intense scrutiny following a provocative social media post directed at white people in the wake of the acquittal of Daniel Penny, who subdued Jordan Neely on a New York City subway in May 2023.
In a lengthy and controversial thread posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Bowman reacted angrily to the jury’s decision to acquit Penny of criminally negligent homicide. Penny, a former U.S. Marine, restrained Neely, a homeless man with schizophrenia, during a confrontation on the subway. Neely had been reportedly shouting death threats at passengers when Penny, with the help of other riders, placed him in a chokehold. Neely later died, though he was still alive at the time police arrived.
The lawmaker began his thread by addressing the post to “White people,” stating: “I don’t know why I feel the need to keep talking to you. I don’t know why part of me still has hope for you and for us. Some of you are too far gone. But maybe enough of you aren’t and will join us in fighting to end white supremacy.”
The post quickly generated a wave of backlash, with many criticizing Bowman’s decision to single out an entire racial group in such an inflammatory way. While Bowman expressed frustration over what he described as the continued lack of accountability in cases of violence against Black Americans, his specific targeting of white people led some to accuse him of using divisive and racially charged rhetoric.
In the thread, Bowman listed a series of high-profile cases of violence against Black people, including the deaths of Rodney King, Eric Garner, George Floyd, and Jordan Neely. Bowman argued that Neely, who was subdued by Penny for several minutes before his death, was “not a threat” and that Penny’s actions were unjustified, though multiple eyewitnesses insisted that Neely was, indeed, a threat and that they feared for their lives and safety because of his behavior. He went on to express frustration with the justice system.
Bowman then posed a question: “How many times have you seen a white man killed in cold blood on camera on your newsfeed? How many times have you even heard about this? Never.”
The statement received swift criticism from some who pointed out the irony and sheer delusion of his remarks. In particular, several users highlighted the fact that a highly publicized killing of a white CEO, Brian Thompson, who was shot dead in an apparent targeted attack by a left-wing extremist, had been dominating news coverage for days. Critics saw this as an example of Bowman’s oversimplification of complex issues of race, justice, and violence.
Conservative figures were particularly vocal in their condemnation. Fox News contributor Guy Benson called Bowman’s post “straight up racist,” while the Manhattan Institute’s Christopher Rufo described it as “stupid, resentful, and manipulative rhetoric.”
Bowman, who lost his bid for re-election in 2024 after being defeated in the Democratic primary by a challenger, became the first member of “The Squad” to lose a primary contest. His tenure was marked by a series of controversies, including the highly publicized incident where he pulled a fire alarm in a House office building, and his past inflammatory remarks on foreign policy. These controversies, along with his latest social media post, have raised questions about his political future and his ability to unite diverse constituencies.
