Fact Check: Rashida Tlaib did not urge Hamas supporters to mobilize and seize control of America

Claims circulating on social media suggested that U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib encouraged supporters of Hamas to "mobilize and take over America" during a 2025 speech in Detroit. These assertions, largely promoted by pro-Israel accounts, misrepresent her remarks and falsely equate advocacy for Palestinian civilians with support for the militant group Hamas, which the U.S. classifies as a terrorist organization.

Between August 29 and 31, 2025, the "2025 People's Conference for Palestine" took place in Detroit, organized by a coalition of Palestinian groups. Toward the conclusion of the conference, Rep. Tlaib, a Detroit Democrat and daughter of Palestinian immigrants, addressed attendees. In the months following the event, snippets of her speech were widely shared online, particularly in late November 2025, accompanied by the false narrative that she had called on Hamas supporters to take action in the U.S.

Reviewing the full speech on YouTube confirms that Tlaib never issued such a call. Instead, she urged members of the public to "mobilize" in response to actions by the Israeli military in Gaza, which she and multiple international organizations, including the United Nations and Amnesty International, have described as constituting genocide. The misrepresentation relies on a common rhetorical tactic where advocacy for Palestinian rights is equated with support for Hamas, a comparison experts widely recognize as inaccurate.

Many circulated clips included watermarks from Canary Mission, an anonymous website that The New York Times reported engages in doxxing individuals involved in campus protests critical of Israeli policies. The platform targets students and academics who participate in such activism.

Relevant excerpts from Tlaib's speech illustrate her focus:

"We are just getting started. Look at this room, we ain't going anywhere! We are bringing siblings from other movements with us. Every corner of this city that raised me has shown me how to fight for civil rights and justice and against oppression."

"Detroit taught me that these institutions will never save us. It is only us who can create change. For freedom and justice at home and abroad, we must mobilize to resist and fight back."

Her speech emphasized civic engagement, grassroots activism, and opposition to what she and other observers describe as atrocities in Gaza, without ever calling for violent action or support for Hamas within the United States.

Author: Gavin Porter