Trump Calls N.Y. Candidate Pilip a ‘Foolish Woman’

Former President Donald Trump criticized Mazi Melesa Pilip, the GOP candidate in New York’s 3rd Congressional District special election, for losing the race to finish ousted former Rep. George Santos’ term in office and called her a “very foolish woman” for distancing herself from him.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social page after Pilip lost to former Rep. Tom Suozzi, “Republicans just don’t learn, but maybe she was still a Democrat?” Trump added, “I have an almost 99% Endorsement Success Rate in Primaries, and a very good number in the General Elections, as well, but just watched this very foolish woman, Mazi Melesa Pilip, running in a race where she didn’t endorse me and tried to ‘straddle the fence,’ when she would have easily WON if she understood anything about MODERN DAY politics in America.”

According to The Hill, Pilip, despite holding office as a Republican in Nassau County, has been registered as a Democrat since 2012. Trump also blamed the election loss on his supporters staying home, saying they didn’t vote because they were not treated with respect.

“MAGA, WHICH IS MOST OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, STAYED HOME – AND IT ALWAYS WILL, UNLESS IT IS TREATED WITH THE RESPECT THAT IT DESERVES,” he said. “I STAYED OUT OF THE RACE, ‘I WANT TO BE LOVED!’ GIVE US A REAL CANDIDATE IN THE DISTRICT FOR NOVEMBER. SUOZZI, I KNOW HIM WELL, CAN BE EASILY BEATEN!”

According to The New York Times, Pilip had sought to tie Suozzi to President Joe Biden, particularly on the immigration crisis, but Suozzi ran as a moderate and made an effort to distance himself from Biden and the Democrat Party itself.

Suozzi had served for three terms in the House before stepping out in 2022 for a failed gubernatorial race. He has called for more harsh policies at the border and vowed to work with Republicans to fix the immigration system, which cut into Pilip’s campaign claims.