Speaker Johnson attacks Suozzi as Marxist at Long Island fundraiser for LiPetri

During a fundraiser at the Embassy Diner on Long Island, House Speaker Mike Johnson lambasted incumbent Rep. Tom Suozzi, labeling him part of a “Marxist crazy left” trying to seize control of the House. Johnson’s remarks tied Suozzi to policies such as allowing transgender athletes in women’s sports, raising the SALT deduction cap, and supporting a ban on congressional stock trading. The event also featured Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who seized the platform to denounce Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani as dangerous “comrades.”

GOP congressional hopeful Mike LiPetri, who narrowly lost to Suozzi in 2024, asserted that his campaign now enjoys “momentum” heading into the November 3 election. Former Yankees star Mark Teixeira, originally billed for the gathering, did not appear. LiPetri’s campaign and the Hochul administration warned that a win for LiPetri would make him a rubber-stamp for President Trump’s policies.