A far-left reporter says that he was thrown off of an Amtrak train after he confronted Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) about the war between Israel and Hamas, a conflict that has fractured the normal lockstep unity of the Democrat base.
In video footage that he posted to the X platform, formerly Twitter, Aaron Maté who writes for the left-wing anti-Israel website The Gray Zone accosted the 60-year-old Democrat, putting the Senate Ethics Committee chairman on the spot about the ceasefire that pro-Hamas leftists have been clamoring for.
Occupying the seat directly across from the senator, who was the permanent replacement for the Delaware seat vacated when Joe Biden became Barack Obama’s veep, Maté repeatedly badgered the Democrat about why he wouldn’t call for a ceasefire while parroting Hamas propaganda about dead children in Gaza, persisting even after Coons asked him to stop.
Sen. @ChrisCoons sat across from me on the train. With Israel using US weapons to kill thousands of Palestinian civilians, including 4600+ children, I asked him why he refuses to call for a ceasefire: pic.twitter.com/uW7oBBX0Il
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) November 13, 2023
“Senator, I’m sorry to put you on the spot, but why not call for a cease-fire in Gaza?” Maté asked as he began recording the conversation, not letting up even after Sen. Coons informed him that they were in a “quiet car” which the reporter refused to respect.
“Children are dying. US weapons are killing kids in Gaza,” he said.
“Who are you? Nice to meet you, Aaron. Please stop talking to me,” Coons said, looking for an Amtrak employee to intervene.
“Please stop. Please stop. Aaron, you are bothering me and everyone else around you. Sir, can I please have some help here? He’s bothering me while I’m trying to work,” Coons said.
The senator eventually gave in to the harassment.
“I’m not going to call for a cease-fire,” Coons said. “I strongly support humanitarian pauses. I’ve urged the Israeli government to target their campaign against Hamas,” but it wasn’t good enough for Maté who continued to pester the lawmaker until he threatened to have him removed from the Amtrak shuttle.
“Aaron, please stop or I’m gonna have you thrown off this train. I’m a senator, this is a quiet car. You’re breaking the basic rules of how we operate on Amtrak, please stop,” Coons said.
In another video posted to X, the reporter claimed that he was booted off the train when it stopped in Philly over his pestering of Coons and that the senator demanded it.
“After questioning Sen. Coons about his support for Israeli massacres in Gaza, I was asked to move to a different seat. I complied. About 30 mins later, he walked by me. We did not exchange words. At the next stop, in Philadelphia, I was removed from the train. I assume this was done at Sen. Coons’ behest,” Maté said.
After questioning Sen. Coons about his support for Israeli massacres in Gaza, I was asked to move to a different seat. I complied. About 30 mins later, he walked by me. We did not exchange words. At the next stop, in Philadelphia, I was removed from the train. I assume this was… pic.twitter.com/Odbr36CJJx
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) November 13, 2023
“While Senator Coons does not support a ceasefire, he has repeatedly made clear that he supports humanitarian pauses to allow for assistance deliveries to Gaza, including hospitals, and has urged the Israeli government to target their campaign against Hamas. He also has repeatedly pushed for the swift release of the hostages Hamas continues to hold,” a spokesperson for the senator told the New York Post.
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