Hank Newsome is the co-founder of Black Lives Matter in New York City and just minutes after meeting with Mayor-elect Eric Adams last week, promised BLM will burn down the city and riot if the new mayor implements a strong ant-crime policy.
Newsome feels those policies, such as stop and frisk and plainclothes police officers serve only to target and incarcerate African Americans in New York City.
This weekend, Fox News host Dan Bongino welcomed Newsome to his show, but dodged most questions from the hard-hitting Bongino, including a question about Newsome condemning violence in New York City. Bongino made several attempts to ask Newsome if he condoned violence and riots and Newsome balked, instead, trying to change the subject.
When Bongino asked the BLM leader if he condemned violence and riots, he answered, “‘No. What I’ll say is, I understand when a police officer unjustifiably kills someone, why people lash out. I understand that completely,’ Newsome said. ‘I’m not going to condemn, nor am I going to condone it.”
Eventually, Newsome got frustrated when Bongino pushed to get a more direct answer, unclipping his microphone and saying, “I know what you’re trying to do here, you’re just trying to bait me.”
With that he stood up and walked out of the interview, “I’m outta here, God Bless you.”
“You are out of here,” Bongino responded. With that, Newsome rage quit the interview after Bongino called him a coward for not answering the question.
The national Black Lives Matter Network, the official national chapter of the movement once again disavowed Newsome and said he does not represent Black Lives Matter.
“Hawk Newsome has no relation to the Black Lives Matter Global Network (“BLM”) founded by Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi — and is not the “president” of BLM or any of its chapters. Only BLM chapters who adhere to BLM’s principles and code of ethics are permitted to use the BLM name,” The Black Lives Matter Global Network said in 2020 and reiterated after his threat to riot again in New York City. “The reason for this is simple: unaffiliated uses of BLM’s name are confusing to people who may wrongly associate the unsanctioned group and its views and actions with BLM. As BLM has told Mr. Newsome in the past, and as is still true today, Mr. Newsome’s group is not a chapter of BLM and has not entered into any agreement with BLM agreeing to adhere to BLM’s core principles. The only official chapter of BLM in New York is Black Lives Matter NYC.”