Backlash erupts over viral video of CAIR leader as Newsom funding draws scrutiny
A video circulating widely on social media that appears to show a prominent California Muslim advocacy leader urging supporters to be "strategic" about how they express certain views publicly is drawing backlash and renewed scrutiny of the organization’s ties to state funding.
The clip, shared on X, appears to show Zahra Billoo, executive director of the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations CAIR-CA, discussing how supporters should approach expressing controversial sentiments in public versus private settings.
Fox News Digital has not independently verified the full context of the remarks or the complete video.
In the video, Billoo appears to caution against posting certain views publicly, using an example to illustrate what she described as a lack of "strategic" judgment.
"Now imagine your LinkedIn profile says, ‘I hate all Zionists,’" Billoo says in the clip. "Not strategic. Right? … You may say that sitting around Kahwah House on a Friday night, but you’re not going to say it on your LinkedIn."
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She adds that supporters should think in terms of "strategic versus reckless."
The footage quickly prompted reaction from commentators and political figures online.
"Notice, the message here isn’t ‘don’t hate people and don’t be bigots,’" Guy Benson, a FOX News political analyst and FOX News Radio host, wrote on X. "The message is ‘we must hide our hatred and bigotry more strategically.’"
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Republican National Committeewoman Harmeet Dhillon also reacted to the clip, writing "Wow."
Christopher F. Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal, amplified the video, linking it to broader concerns about CAIR-CA and its role in California public life.
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The renewed attention comes as CAIR-CA faces scrutiny over funding highlighted in a recent City Journal report, which found the group has received roughly $40 million in state-administered funds in recent years, much of it tied to federally funded programs.
The report revisits longstanding allegations about CAIR’s historical connections to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, claims the organization has denied, calling them "baseless" and part of a broader defamation campaign.
The scrutiny comes as some Republican-led states have taken action targeting the group. In December, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the state would designate CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations at the state level, following a similar move by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Those actions do not carry the same legal weight as a federal terrorist designation, which can only be made by the U.S. State Department. CAIR has challenged the moves, arguing they are unconstitutional and defamatory.
CAIR has consistently maintained that it is a civil rights organization focused on protecting Muslim Americans from discrimination and says its funding is fully accounted for and subject to oversight.
The scrutiny also comes as California Gov. Gavin Newsom has recently spoken out against rising antisemitism.
"A 46-year national high in antisemitic assaults should alarm EVERY American," Newsom wrote on X. "We must confront hate and antisemitism directly and reject hate wherever it appears. Every person deserves to feel safe in our country."
A spokesperson for the governor’s office did not directly address the circulating video but said the administration works with a range of nonprofit organizations through community initiatives and engages with both Jewish and Muslim leaders across the state.
The office also pointed to efforts to expand security funding for religious institutions, strengthen hate crime laws and support Holocaust and genocide education initiatives.
Fox News Digital reached out to CAIR-CA and Billoo for comment.
Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.