Wolf Blitzer Bails Out Mahmoud Khalil As He Refuses To Condemn Hamas

Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, who gained national attention after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and released by a federal judge earlier this year, refused to condemn Hamas during a CNN interview Tuesday.

A judge ordered ICE in June to release Khalil from his Louisiana detention after his lawyers requested a transfer to New Jersey, stemming from his March detention over accusations of activities aligned with Hamas. During an appearance on “The Situation Room,” CNN’s Pamela Brown asked Khalil if he condemns Hamas. Khalil, however, deflected.

“I condemn the killing of all civilians, full stop,” Khalil said. When pressed further by Brown, he reiterated, “No, I am very clear with condemning all civilians. I’m very straight in my position in that part. But it’s disingenuous to ask about condemning Hamas while Palestinians are the ones being starved now by Israel.”

Khalil continued to deflect, focusing on the broader issue of Palestinian suffering rather than directly addressing the actions of Hamas.

“No, I am very clear with condemning all civilians. I’m very straight in my position in that part. 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. So I hate this selective outrage of condemnation because 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 causes of why that happened. And it’s no way anyone can justify the killing of civilians,” Khalil said.

Brown, however, persisted in her questioning.

“Just to be clear, Mahmoud, we did ask about, you know we’ve talked at length about your views, of course, on the Palestinians. But it is fair to ask you about whether you condemn Hamas because the Trump administration has claimed that you are a Hamas sympathizer. So it’s very important to actually ask that question in this broad conversation,” Brown said. (RELATED: Biden-Appointed Judge Throws Wrench In Trump State Dept’s Bid To Deport Pro-Palestinian Protester)

“Yeah, I simply asked and protested the war in Palestine. That’s what I did. That’s my duty as a Palestinian, as a human being right now, is to ask for the stopping of the killing in my home country. And that’s consistent with who I am. I’m a firm believer in international law and human rights. And all my values come from that point,” Khalil said. “It’s just like, to me, it’s always, as I said, disingenuous and absurd to ask such questions when literally 62,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel. 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 hypocritical, to be honest.”

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer then intervened.

“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,” Blitzer said. “Mahmoud Khalil, good luck to you, good luck to your family. I know you have a new son, and you finally have a chance to meet with your son. Congratulations on that, and we will stay in touch with you.”

Following his release, Khalil sued the Trump administration for $20 million over his arrest and months-long detention. His lawyers filed the claim Thursday, accusing the administration of false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and wrongly labeling him an antisemite while attempting to deport him.

As the Israel-Hamas war unfolded, leftist student protesters flooded major U.S. universities in 2024, with Columbia University becoming one of the most turbulent campuses. Protests escalated to the point that university officials called in the NYPD to restore order and make arrests.

During the unrest, Khalil, then a graduate student on a non-immigrant visa, quickly positioned himself as the face of the movement, speaking to media and acting as the intermediary for campus activists and Columbia administrators.

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