FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 16, 2026

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Vincent Errichetti

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Markey Dodged on Dan Rea's 'Nightside' Thursday

BOLTON, MA -- Massachusetts U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton condemned Senator Ed Markey's failure to state unequivocally that Iran is a greater threat to the United States than Israel. Markey dodged on Thursday night, instead declaring Iran a "threat" to affordability after a six-second pause live on-air.

"Every Jewish resident in Massachusetts should know where Senator Markey places the value of their safety, and that's lower than the cost of getting himself reelected," said Deaton. "Massachusetts has been at the center of an alarming rise in antisemitic hate crimes, and still Senator Markey goes beyond the pale by insinuating that the Jewish nation of Israel is no less dangerous to the United States than Iran."

Transcript of Markey's response (11:54 at iHeart podcasts):

REA: "I'm going to ask you the question that [Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate] El-Sayed was asked, and he ducked: What's a bigger threat to the U.S., Israel or Iran?"

MARKEY: "Well... I think that... Israel under the control of Bibi Netanyahu is obviously a problem, and I don't believe we should be sending any more military aid to Netanyahu--"

REA: "No, I said a threat. To me the answer is obvious."

MARKEY: "Well... Iran, as it sits right now, is not a military threat to us. It is a threat to our economy. The threat that Iran is posing to us is that Iran controls the Straight of Hormuz and Trump had not learned the lessons of history, that the Straight of Hormuz is where the price of energy is set, and the price of energy determines everything in the United states. That's what people are revolting against..."

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