Shock Move Hits Zohran Mamdani’s Socialists — “Cannot Enter Congress”1
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., is calling for a change to House rules that would bar newly elected members from taking their seats if they refuse to swear the constitutional oath of office, as scrutiny continues around several Democratic socialist candidates who won New York primaries this year.
Steube announced the proposal during an interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson and later reiterated it in a post on X.
“Every member of Congress has to swear an oath to protect and uphold the Constitution,” Steube said.
“If she is refusing to do that, she should not be seated. I think we should pass a rule,” he continued.
“This program has given me the idea to file an amendment to the rules.”
Steube later expanded on the proposal online.
“The oath to defend the Constitution isn’t optional,” he wrote. “If you’re elected to Congress but refuse to swear it, you shouldn’t be sworn in!!”
“I’m calling for a House rules change to ensure anyone who refuses the oath is barred from taking their seat.”
His comments were aimed in part at Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist who defeated longtime Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the Democratic primary for New York’s 13th Congressional District and is now the party’s nominee for the heavily Democratic seat.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed Avila Chevalier during the primary, helping connect her campaign to the broader rise of democratic socialist candidates in New York politics.
Steube has pointed to Avila Chevalier’s past activism and social media record as evidence, in his view, that her political positions are incompatible with the oath required of members of Congress.
Avila Chevalier helped establish an earlier Columbia University student organization called Columbia University Apartheid Divest, or CUAD. A later coalition using the same name became a central organizer of pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia and drew criticism for rhetoric including calls for the “total eradication of Western civilization” and support for militant resistance.
Reports have also highlighted past social media posts attributed to Avila Chevalier, including a remark about wiping her hands on an American flag. She has faced broader scrutiny over deleted posts and statements from earlier in her political activism.
Steube cited that record while questioning whether someone associated with those views could sincerely swear the congressional oath.
“These people are incompatible with our country and cannot uphold their oath of office,” Steube said.
Under Article VI of the Constitution, members of Congress are required to take an oath or affirmation to support the Constitution before assuming office.
The oath currently administered to members states that they will “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic” and “bear true faith and allegiance to the same.”
Steube’s proposal would formalize a House rule addressing members who decline to take that oath. He has not publicly released detailed legislative text explaining how the rule would operate beyond an outright refusal to be sworn.
The controversy is significant because criticism of a candidate’s past political statements is not the same as an actual refusal to take the oath. Avila Chevalier would still be required to swear or affirm support for the Constitution if she wins the general election and is seated in the House.
Whether House leadership will consider Steube’s proposed rules change remains unclear. The House adopts its rules at the beginning of each Congress, and changes require approval by the chamber.
The dispute comes as Mamdani has faced a separate setback involving one of his administration’s early housing interventions.
In January, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge David S. Jones rejected New York City’s effort to delay the bankruptcy sale of thousands of rent-regulated apartments owned by Pinnacle Group, allowing the auction process to continue.
Pinnacle had entered bankruptcy after mortgage lender Flagstar Bank moved to foreclose on a portfolio of more than 90 buildings backing roughly $560 million in mortgage debt.
The Mamdani administration sought to intervene shortly after taking office, arguing that the city had an interest both as a creditor and as an advocate for tenants living in the affected buildings.
Court filings showed that Pinnacle owed the city about $12.7 million in unpaid housing-related fines and that thousands of building-code violations and tenant complaints remained associated with the portfolio.
The city argued that a sale should not proceed without stronger assurances that a new owner could finance repairs and maintain the properties over the long term.
Jones rejected the request to halt the process, and Summit Properties ultimately won court approval to acquire roughly 5,200 rent-regulated apartments across 93 buildings for about $451 million.
The judge said Summit had shown the financial capacity to support the properties and had developed plans for addressing outstanding code violations.
The city’s intervention nevertheless resulted in commitments from the buyer to make repairs and cure violations on an accelerated timetable, according to city officials.
The Pinnacle dispute and Steube’s proposed House rule involve unrelated legal and political issues, but both have placed figures connected to New York’s growing democratic socialist movement under renewed national scrutiny.
For Avila Chevalier, the next step is the November general election. For Mamdani, the housing fight remains part of a broader effort to influence the future of New York City’s rent-regulated housing stock even when the properties are controlled through federal bankruptcy proceedings.
Unverified Claim: Hayden Panettiere “Autopsy Results” Reportedly Revealed
Preliminary autopsy findings in the death of actress Hayden Panettiere found no signs of trauma that contributed to her death, providing the first major medical update as authorities continue to investigate why the 36-year-old “Heroes” and “Nashville” star died at a South Carolina residence.
Panettiere was found unresponsive on Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Judson Mill Lofts in Greenville, South Carolina, where she had been temporarily staying. Police and emergency medical personnel responded shortly before 2 p.m. after a report of an unresponsive woman, according to statements from local authorities reported by multiple news organizations.
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office said first responders found Panettiere in cardiac arrest and initiated advanced cardiac life support measures. Despite those efforts, she was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m.
A dispatch recording reported by Reuters, People and other outlets included references to an “overdose” and “cardiac arrest.” Authorities, however, have not announced that an overdose caused Panettiere’s death, and the final cause and manner of death remain undetermined.
Coroner Mike Ellis said an autopsy was completed the day after Panettiere died and that investigators found no physical injuries that would have contributed to her death.
“At autopsy no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death,” the coroner’s statement said. “The cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation and the completion of additional studies.”
The coroner’s office added that the investigation remains active and ongoing. Greenville police separately said their preliminary investigation had not indicated foul play or suspicious circumstances.
Those findings narrow some possibilities but do not establish what caused Panettiere’s death. Toxicology testing and other laboratory studies are expected to be central to the final determination. The Greenville County Coroner’s Office told Entertainment Weekly that toxicology results could take approximately eight weeks, although they could be completed sooner.
The investigation has also expanded beyond local authorities. People reported on Aug. 20, citing a source familiar with the matter, that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had become involved. Fox News separately reported that the DEA had joined the probe. Neither the federal agency nor local officials have publicly identified a suspect or announced criminal charges in connection with Panettiere’s death.
New details about the emergency response emerged Friday from Zach Hickerson, the brother of Panettiere’s on-and-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson. In an account provided to TMZ and subsequently reported by People and Fox News, Zach Hickerson said he went to the Greenville residence after being unable to reach Panettiere or his brother and found Panettiere unconscious.
Zach Hickerson said he called 911 while Brian Hickerson administered Narcan, a medication used to rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. He said the two men then performed CPR until firefighters and EMS personnel arrived.
That account has not changed the official status of the case: investigators have not determined the cause of death. The presence or use of Narcan does not by itself establish that an opioid caused Panettiere’s death, and toxicology results remain pending.
Brian Hickerson’s attorney has urged the public to allow the investigation to proceed without speculation. “Hayden’s death remains under investigation, and it is important to allow that investigation to proceed,” attorney Sloan Ellis said in a statement reported by People, noting that police had found no signs of foul play.
Panettiere’s death came only five days before what would have been her 37th birthday on Aug. 21. Her former fiancé, former heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, marked the date with a tribute and said he would protect the memories their 11-year-old daughter, Kaya, has of her mother.
Panettiere’s father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, confirmed her death in a family statement and remembered her as a powerful presence both in private and on screen.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden,” he said. “She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen.”
The family asked for privacy as it processed the loss. The coroner’s office later confirmed that Panettiere’s remains had been released to her family following the autopsy.
The actress had spent almost her entire life in entertainment. Born in New York in 1989, she began working as a child performer, appearing in commercials and soap operas before moving into film and prime-time television.
One of her early widely recognized roles came as the voice of Dot in Pixar’s 1998 animated film “A Bug’s Life.” Her work connected to the film also earned her a Grammy nomination for a children’s spoken-word recording.
She appeared in the 2000 football drama “Remember the Titans,” starring Denzel Washington, before becoming a major television star in 2006 as Claire Bennet, the seemingly indestructible high school cheerleader at the center of NBC’s superhero drama “Heroes.”
The series made Panettiere internationally recognizable and helped turn the phrase “Save the cheerleader, save the world” into one of the show’s defining lines. She won multiple Teen Choice Awards for the role.
Panettiere later took on one of the most acclaimed roles of her career as Juliette Barnes, an ambitious and troubled country singer in the musical drama “Nashville.” She performed her own music on the series, and several of her recordings appeared on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
Her work on “Nashville” earned her two Golden Globe nominations for supporting actress. The series ran for six seasons, first on ABC and later on CMT, and became closely associated with Panettiere’s ability to combine dramatic acting with music.
She also became known to horror audiences as Kirby Reed in the “Scream” franchise. Panettiere returned to the role in “Scream VI” in 2023 after a period away from major screen work, a comeback that was welcomed by longtime fans.
Reuters reported that her most recent film appearance was in the psychological thriller “Sleepwalker,” released in January 2026, in which she played a grieving mother struggling with disturbing sleepwalking episodes.
In the months before her death, Panettiere had also been speaking publicly about the difficult parts of her life. Her memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” was released in May 2026 and described the pressures of growing up in the entertainment industry, the difficult birth of her daughter, postpartum depression and her struggles with alcohol addiction.
Panettiere had previously discussed treatment and recovery in interviews, often describing addiction and mental health as issues she had confronted over a period of years. Those disclosures are part of her public history, but investigators have not said that any past condition caused her death.
Her personal life had also included profound loss. Her younger brother, actor Jansen Panettiere, died in 2023 at age 28. The family said at the time that his death resulted from complications related to an enlarged heart and an aortic-valve condition.
Following Panettiere’s death, former co-stars and friends across Hollywood posted tributes. The Associated Press reported condolences from performers including Connie Britton, Viola Davis, Selma Blair and others who remembered her talent, humor and resilience.
Davis, who worked with Panettiere on the film “Custody,” described her as a deeply thoughtful person whose struggles had become part of the testimony she left behind. Other colleagues from “Nashville” and “Heroes” remembered the support she gave fellow actors and the professionalism she brought to sets from a young age.
The public tributes have unfolded alongside a continuing law-enforcement investigation that remains unresolved. For now, the most definitive medical finding is what the autopsy did not show: there was no trauma identified as contributing to Panettiere’s death.
The question of what did cause her death is still open. Toxicology results, additional studies and the work of local and federal investigators will determine whether officials can provide a final explanation in the weeks ahead.
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Until then, authorities have emphasized that the cause and manner of death remain pending, while Panettiere’s family, colleagues and fans mourn a performer whose career stretched from childhood roles to some of television’s most recognizable characters.
