Former President Donald Trump recently slammed Republican congressional candidate Mazi Melesa Pilip on Tuesday after her New York defeat to Democrat Tom Suozzi. He also blamed her for being foolish and not endorsing him, saying in all caps, “I WANT TO BE LOVED!”
After Pilip lost to Suozzi in the race for George Santos’ former New York seat – flipping the district blue – Trump published a rant on Truth Social which appeared to suggest that Pilip could be a secret Democrat.
“Republicans just don’t learn, but maybe she was still a Democrat?” wrote Trump, referencing Pilip’s former status as a registered Democrat until 2012:
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. MAGA, WHICH IS MOST OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, STAYED HOME – AND IT ALWAYS WILL, UNLESS IT IS TREATED WITH THE RESPECT THAT IT DESERVES. 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!
Pilip was born in Ethiopia, before immigrating to Israel in 1991 and then to the United States in 2005 – lost to Suozzi on Tuesday with just over 46% of the vote.
Suozzi had previously represented New York’s 3rd District between 2017 and 2023 when he was defeated by Santos, who flipped the District red. Santos was expelled from Congress late last year, however, leaving the seat vacant.
