Dem candidate caught on camera applauding notorious antisemite's violent rhetoric: 'You break his neck'
Progressive Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, one of the top Democratic candidates for New Jersey governor, was caught on video applauding and embracing radical Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan as he calls White people "demons" and calls for violence as retribution.
Farrakhan, 91, is a longtime radical antisemite preacher known for making inflammatory statements against Jews, White people and LGBTQ individuals. He has also praised Adolf Hitler as a "great man" and has become one of the most controversial religious figures in the United States due to his derogatory comments about Israel.
The video – taken in 2004 at a Newark church – shows Baraka introducing Farrakhan to the congregation by calling him a major personal inspiration and "the leader of every Black person."
The full speech is viewable on the Nation of Islam website.
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"I don't think that there's any man today, present today, that has the kind of moral authority or spiritual strength," Baraka said. "Not president, not community leader, not political international activist, nowhere that has the moral authority, the historical and political framework, that the Minister Farrakhan has, that. Who can stand where he stands and truly say that he is the leader of black people anywhere and everywhere."
During the speech, which was first reported on by the New York Post, Baraka stood to give Farrakhan a standing ovation two times. The first is after Farrakhan denounces the non-violent protests of the civil rights movement, saying, "We didn’t believe in no non-violence. The cracker hit you on your jaw, you break his neck. That’s the way we think."
Baraka applauds again after Farrakhan demonizes White people as "the enemy."
"Now the enemy comes in. You, the Crips, and the Bloods, they'll send people in to give you rumors about your brother over there. These demons will even kill a policeman and then blame it on you. You dealing with a devil, man. You're not dealing with righteous people. This cracker is the real devil. And you better wake up and realize that," said Farrakhan.
During the speech, Farrakhan also criticized African Americans joining the military, saying, "I better not catch you in no d--- Army uniform fighting for the enemy." He also disparaged White women in particular and slammed interracial dating.
This was not the last time Baraka hosted Farrakhan and gave him a platform to speak.
A Farrakhan-aligned news outlet called The Final Call reported in 2012 that Baraka hosted Farrakhan to give a speech to over 1,000 high school students at Central High School in Newark, where he was principal.
The New York Amsterdam News reported in 2017 that as Newark mayor, Baraka organized another Farrakhan address, titled "Separation or Death." According to the outlet, Farrakhan bashed the United States and the civil rights movement during this address. He also called for African Americans to be given reparations and to break away from the nation to form a separate state.
Again in 2018, Essex News Daily reported that Farrakhan gave another speech in Newark, this time directly in support of Baraka, saying, "I came here tonight to stand for my brother; to stand for his mother; to stand for his family; to stand for you. That’s why I’m here tonight."
After the videos resurfaced, Baraka told Jewish Insider that he "will not be bullied or silenced into walking away from the fight for justice."
"I will not be cowed into denouncing my lifelong work for peace, equality, and equity," Baraka said. "These latest accusations and insinuations aren’t just false—they’re a reflection of the fear my candidacy is provoking in the political establishment."
"The Nation of Islam holds deep respect in many parts of the Black community because of the work they’ve done to reduce violence and support self-determination in neighborhoods that have been ignored and abandoned for generations," he added.
Farrakhan is infamous for his hateful comments against White people and Jews, which have been closely monitored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for several years. The ADL, which has called Farrakhan "one of the most prominent antisemites," lists dozens of his quotes on its website, including several from past Saviours' Day speeches. SPLC has classified Nation of Islam as a hate group.
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Fox News Digital has exposed several Democrats in recent years for their embrace of Farrakhan, including multiple pastors, Democrat staffers and left-wing activists, including the left-wing Hip Hop Caucus' events and fields coordinator Terence Muhammad, Sen. Elissa Slotkin's top staffer Dr. Terra DeFoe, among others.
Baraka’s campaign website calls for voters to "reimagine New Jersey," as a state "where we come together, regardless of zip code, or race, or gender or nationality."
His website also includes a comment he made to the New Jersey Globe in which he said as governor he would "deconstruct the state budget and reassemble with equity as our north star; judging every decision as either a step towards equity or a step towards inequity."
Baraka did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by the time of publication.