NYC Café Rejects Pro-israel Politician Over Controversial Views

WHO:

CNN - Rep. Dan Goldman stated, “I had such a nice interaction with the barista in the coffee shop,” highlighting her kindness.

NBC News - Mayor Zohran Mamdani offered a non-response regarding the coffee shop's actions.

NBC News - Rep. Dan Goldman described the coffee shop's actions as “sad” amid a heated Democratic primary election.

NBC News - Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not publicly condemn the coffee shop's actions.

CNN - Rep. Dan Goldman described his interaction with a barista at Poetica Coffee, stating, "I had such a nice interaction with the barista... she couldn’t have been nicer."

CNN - Brad Lander, former city comptroller, is challenging Rep. Goldman in a primary election.

Fox News - Rep. Dan Goldman, a pro-Israel politician, was involved in the incident.

WHAT:

CNN - Poetica Coffee has since taken down its Instagram page following the backlash from its post about Rep. Goldman.

Fox News - The Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating the Brooklyn coffee shop for its hostile social media post regarding Rep. Dan Goldman.

CNN - Goldman stated, “I had such a nice interaction with the barista in the coffee shop,” highlighting her kindness.

CNN - Goldman expressed that the coffee shop's post reflects a “sad state of affairs” regarding political discourse.

CNN - Poetica Coffee posted a photo of Rep. Dan Goldman and a receipt of a refund on its social media, stating, "Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee."

IJR - Poetica Coffee claimed it does not serve "racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers or anyone in between."

CNN - Goldman stated that he had a positive interaction with a barista who allowed his daughter to use the bathroom and that he felt grateful enough to buy a coffee and give a large tip.

CNN - The since-deleted post from Poetica Coffee included a message to Goldman, stating, "Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?"

CNN - Goldman is facing a primary challenge from Brad Lander, who is backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

CNN - About 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and more than 70,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began following those attacks.

CNN - Goldman described the coffee shop's deleted post as a reflection of a "sad state of affairs" and noted that he had a positive interaction with a barista who was wearing a hijab.

CNN - The since-deleted post from Poetica Coffee included a message to Goldman stating, "we don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways)."

CNN - Goldman stated, "I have many issues with Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu, but simply because I support the existence of Israel as a Jewish state, as the only Jewish state, does not by any means, mean that I support everything that government does."

CNN - Lander issued a statement to The New York Times denouncing the coffee shop’s post, saying, "There are plenty of ways to lobby elected officials and express outrage at the votes they’ve taken without turning coffee shops into places people don’t feel welcome."

CNN - Goldman stated he would "refuse to cave into that type of rhetoric and that divisiveness" regarding accusations of his support for Israel.

CNN - Lander referred to Israel’s offensive in Gaza as genocide, a claim the Israeli government denies.

Fox News - The Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating the Brooklyn coffee shop for its hostile social media post regarding Rep. Dan Goldman.

Drudge Report - A Brooklyn coffee shop publicly stated it would have turned away Rep. Dan Goldman, labeling him a "genocide enabler."

Fox News - The coffee shop made a hostile social media post regarding Rep. Goldman after he purchased coffee there.

WHERE:

Drudge Report - The incident took place in a coffee shop located in Brooklyn, New York.

WHY:

CNN - Goldman accused Lander of using AIPAC “as a dog whistle” in the context of their political rivalry.

NBC News - The coffee shop's rejection of Goldman was based on his pro-Israel views, which they labeled as enabling genocide.

CNN - Goldman accused Lander of using AIPAC "as a dog whistle" in the context of their political rivalry.

Fox News - The coffee shop's rejection of Rep. Goldman was based on his pro-Israel stance, which they associated with enabling genocide.

HOW:

CNN - Goldman expressed a preference for the Justice Department to focus on investigating antisemitism against individuals without platforms, stating, "I mean, I don’t ask for the antisemitism, but I’m a public figure and I can accept the criticism."

CNN - Goldman criticized the Justice Department's focus on his case, stating, “I would rather they spend their time and resources investigating antisemitism against people who do not have a platform that I do.”

CNN - Goldman expressed that he would prefer the Justice Department to focus on investigating antisemitism against individuals without platforms, stating, "I mean, I don’t ask for the antisemitism, but I’m a public figure and I can accept the criticism."

CNN - Goldman expressed a preference for the Justice Department to focus on investigating antisemitism against individuals without platforms, stating, "I would rather they spend their time and resources investigating antisemitism against people who do not have a platform that I do."

CNN - Goldman expressed a preference for the Justice Department to investigate antisemitism against individuals without platforms, stating, "I would rather they spend their time and resources investigating antisemitism against people who do not have a platform that I do."

Fox News - The coffee shop expressed its views through a social media post, directly addressing Rep. Goldman and his political views.

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 23:19 UTC)

Poetica Coffee has taken down its Instagram page following backlash over a post about Rep. Dan Goldman, who recently described a positive interaction with a barista, emphasizing her kindness. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is investigating the coffee shop for its hostile social media post, as Goldman has accused his political rival, Lander, of using AIPAC as a "dog whistle." Goldman also expressed that he would prefer the Justice Department to focus on investigating antisemitism against individuals without platforms, noting that while he doesn't welcome antisemitism, he can handle criticism as a public figure.

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 21:29 UTC)

In a heated Democratic primary election, Rep. Dan Goldman described the actions of a coffee shop that rejected him as “sad,” emphasizing the unfortunate state of political discourse. Goldman shared a positive interaction he had with a barista, but noted that the shop's rejection stemmed from his pro-Israel views, which they labeled as enabling genocide. He also criticized the Justice Department's focus on his case, suggesting they should instead investigate antisemitism against those without a platform like his.

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 19:35 UTC)

Poetica Coffee recently shared a photo on social media featuring Rep. Dan Goldman along with a receipt for a refund, noting his visit to their shop. The coffee shop also made a statement asserting that it does not serve "racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers or anyone in between." In response, Goldman expressed a preference for the Justice Department to focus on investigating antisemitism against individuals without platforms, saying, "I mean, I don’t ask for the antisemitism, but I’m a public figure and I can accept the criticism."

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 17:35 UTC)

Goldman recently shared a positive experience with a barista who allowed his daughter to use the bathroom, leading him to express his gratitude by buying a coffee and leaving a generous tip. In a since-deleted post, Poetica Coffee responded to Goldman with a provocative message questioning his taste preferences. Meanwhile, Goldman is facing a primary challenge from Brad Lander, who has the support of Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 15:53 UTC)

Goldman criticized a now-deleted post from Poetica Coffee that told him, "we don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways)," describing the incident as a reflection of a "sad state of affairs." He emphasized that while he has many issues with Prime Minister Netanyahu, supporting the existence of Israel as the only Jewish state does not equate to endorsing every action of the government. In response to the coffee shop's message, Lander condemned the post, stating that there are better ways to lobby elected officials without making people feel unwelcome in public spaces.

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 06:22 UTC)

Rep. Dan Goldman recently shared a positive experience with a barista at Poetica Coffee, saying she "couldn’t have been nicer." As he faces a primary challenge from former city comptroller Brad Lander, Goldman has pushed back against accusations regarding his support for Israel, stating he will "refuse to cave into that type of rhetoric and that divisiveness." In the midst of this political rivalry, Goldman accused Lander of using AIPAC "as a dog whistle," while also advocating for the Justice Department to focus on investigating antisemitism against individuals without platforms.

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 04:22 UTC)

The Department of Justice is currently investigating a Brooklyn coffee shop due to a hostile social media post directed at Representative Dan Goldman. This inquiry was reported by Fox News at 04:22 UTC. The situation has raised concerns about the implications of social media interactions in public discourse.

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 01:41 UTC)

In Brooklyn, New York, a coffee shop has publicly stated it would have turned away Rep. Dan Goldman, calling him a "genocide enabler" due to his pro-Israel stance. After he purchased coffee there, the shop made a hostile social media post directly addressing Goldman and his political views. This incident highlights the tensions surrounding political beliefs and their impact on public interactions.