The circus is coming to town.
In yet another example of all the worst things in America starting in California, the Silicon Valley congressman Ro Khanna – a Democrat, in case it was at all necessary to mention that part – is making sure that he’s all over the news. In the latest non-development, Khanna was “detained” in Israel last week.
Khanna was “detained” the same way the California Sen. Alex Padilla was “detained” when he put on a show at a Kristi Noem press conference: He staged a look-at-me, drawing attention, after which he briefly got a little attention before being sent on his way.
As The New York Times put it: “In a statement on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Israeli military said that it had received a report of Israeli civilians unlawfully blocking the vehicles of foreign nationals and members of the news media near the village on Wednesday. Troops were dispatched and reopened the road, the spokesperson said.”
Khanna entered an area in a foreign country where his presence made people nervous, and they stopped him. Then some soldiers came and reopened the road, and then they told him to go away and he did, totally unharmed. Ask yourself what would happen if a foreign legislator, showing up from France or Peru, made a display of himself on the access road to Fort Benning, then told everyone that he was very important because he’s an elected official. Shut up, dork.
Khanna now argues that “Israel’s military does not have the right to detain us,” granting himself authority over another country’s troops. A Democrat from California decides what authority the IDF has in their own country. Again, imagine our hypothetical French legislator announcing that the American military has exceeded its authority by detaining him in America. You’re not from there, is the thing. You don’t have to love Israel to see this point.
Brace yourself, because Khanna explained that Israel had made a major mistake by crossing a very important man: “Free advice to the Israelis: It’s not a good idea to detain long-shot presidential candidates,” he told the Times. This was the purpose of the whole stunt, prominently connecting the name Ro Khanna with the phrase “presidential candidates” in the establishment newsletter. He’s self-elevating, marketing his brand. You can bet that he’ll stage some more confrontations.
Further declaring his importance, Khanna helpfully explained that everyone’s absolutely obsessed with him. “In the past few weeks, I have been attacked by Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and the Netanyahu government for standing up for my values,” he posted on X. “Judge me by my enemies.” It’s Saul Alinsky 101, routine activist DARVO: Poke someone, and get them to tell you to stop, then make their reaction the story. See how [person I poked] can’t stop attacking me? Why are you so obsessed with me, poke poke poke.
Khanna is a shapeshifter and a grifter of the highest order, entering Congress in the alleged form of a centrist and then tacking left as he reads the national mood and tries to turn into the thing that gets him more power and status. He’s one of those politicians who turns into whoever he’s talking to: I’m a careful centrist, he says to a dining room full of CEO donors, then walks into another room and declares that he’s a far-left class warrior.
The liberal magazine Mother Jones meant to praise Khanna in 2017 when they wrote that he had pulled a “daring Trojan horse maneuver.” Here’s how clever he is, they said: “He’d established a reputation in his district as a business-friendly centrist, ousted liberal incumbent Rep. Mike Honda in the state’s top-two election system in November with the backing of wealthy techies, and then quickly repositioned himself to Honda’s left.”
He pretends to be one thing to get power and then turns into another thing once he has it, and isn’t that smart?
Khanna just tried to ride the Graham Platner train to national fame, which didn’t work out for him. He’ll be shopping for some new schtick, and we’ll all have to endure the stupid headlines. Very dramatic things are about to happen to Ro Khanna, I inform you with a heavy sigh, and he’s going to be all over the news. Just imagine how important all of this is going to be.
