Video from a protest outside Philadelphia City Hall shows a masked speaker making inflammatory remarks about U.S. service members and calling for violence, according to footage recorded by local conservative activist Frankie Scales.
In the video, the speaker says, "For every U.S. soldier that returns home in a casket, we cheer."
"Until we have done everything in our power to bring the United States to its knees, let us not lose sight of the enemy," he says, as people in the crowd can be heard cheering.
The individual refers to Hamas and Hezbollah as "resistance forces" and "popular forces," and argues that Iran's regime should remain in power because of its support for those groups.
"They rely on a strong Iranian state to maintain their fighting capacity," the man says.
The comments come as tensions involving Iran and its network of allied groups — including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and other militias across the Middle East — remain elevated amid ongoing regional conflict.
When confronted by Scales, the speaker responds, "May a Hamas rocket blow up your family's home."
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., shared the video on social media and condemned the remarks.
"Here in Philadelphia. Truly appalling. These a******* chanting for the death of our service members," Fetterman wrote on X.
"Where's the Dem outrage and condemnation?" he asked.
Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that plans to develop what had been described as a "Sharia city" in the Lone Star State have been abandoned following an investigation by his office.
Residents near Kaufman, Texas, raised concerns in early February about a foreign developer's plan to purchase thousands of acres to create a "sustainable city" with the capacity to house up to 20,000 foreign nationals, Paxton's office said in a release.
"Because of the risks posed by the infiltration of Sharia law into Texas, my office will work tirelessly to end any illegal scheme that seeks to subvert the Constitution and disrupt the American way of life," Paxton said in a statement. "I am glad to see that the developers of this 'sharia city' in Kaufman County have ceased their operations following my office's investigation."
In addition to the national security risks posed by such a development, residents were also concerned about the strain on the local water supply, the attorney general's office said.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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