Melat Kiros, a hardcore socialist candidate who has ousted a Democrat incumbent in a New York primary race, is being heavily scrutinized after she repeatedly said that the horrific terrorist attacks that took place on 9/11 were the result of America’s foreign policy, going on to make a call for amnesty for 20 million non-citizens and pushing a number of other radical leftist policies.
Kiros, who hails from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, came to the United States when she was an infant. Her dad was selected to come to the country through the U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery. The family then settled in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colorado. Prior to getting involved in politics, Kiros worked as an attorney in the New York office of the law firm Sidley Austin. She also worked as a barista while juggling student loans.
Back in 2023, Kiros wrote an article that she published on Medium defending pro-Palestinian student activists and slammed how law firms responded to the activism after the horrendous October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks against Israel. Not long after the post went live, Kiros was let go from her position with Sidley Austin.
According to a report from Trending Politics News, Kiros has been endorsed by several radical left-wing groups, including the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Justice Democrats, the Sunrise Movement, the Working Families Party, and CAIR Action. The budding Democratic politician is also a member of DSA and has previously described herself ideologically as a democratic socialist.
Kiros’ policy platform includes a number of proposals that have raised eyebrows and gained her a lot of attention from political analysts, particularly those on the conservative side of the spectrum. The Democrat believes Immigration and Customs Enforcement needs to be abolished, calling for those who are currently being detained in ICE facilities without a criminal record to be released immediately.
When it comes to the topic of immigration as a whole, Kiros has been an outspoken advocate for an “immediate pathway to citizenship for every single” illegal alien and asylum seeker currently residing in the United States. During an interview in June 2026, Kiros was asked if the 9/11 terrorist attacks were the consequence of America’s foreign policy. Her answer indicated she favored that explanation.
“Inevitable in the sense that we destabilized a lot of the Middle East that forced people to believe that another act of violence was the only response,” she stated during the interview. Kiros also wants to trash private health insurance, slap a moratorium on the development of new data centers, create federal rent stabilization, raise the federal minimum wage, and ending U.S. military aid to Israel.
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After successfully unseating longtime incumbent Diana DeGette in the primary race, Kiros will enter the general election as a heavy favorite. The 1st District in Colorado includes the city of Denver, which is a deep-blue seat with a major lean toward the Democratic Party. Pundits believe there’s a better than average chance that Kiros will win the congressional seat.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video