UMD Research Assistant Djamil Lakhdar-Hamina Joked About Bombing LA, Miami To Kill Cuban, Iranian Americans

On March 1, University of Maryland research assistant Djamil Lakhdar-Hamina appeared on a Cosmonaut Magazine YouTube livestream.

“A far-left University of Maryland research assistant is facing backlash after appearing to joke about bombing parts of Los Angeles and Miami to kill Cuban and Iranian Americans who support President Trump’s military strikes against Iran”

California Post

He made remarks advocating bombing parts of Los Angeles and Miami to kill Cuban and Iranian Americans who supported U.S. military strikes on Iran.

California Post

Both the New York Post and the California Post report the same core allegation and quote his words directly: "Just bomb large swaths of LA and Miami. It'd be a better planet for it."

The reports identify the clip as the source of the backlash and tie the comments to that livestream appearance.

The remarks included ethnicized language and a historic slur.

Both outlets report Lakhdar-Hamina used the Spanish slur "gusanos" (worms) while criticizing members of the Iranian diaspora for backing strikes, a term historically used by the Cuban regime to denigrate exiles.

New York Post

The California Post frames the comments as a contrast between Cuban and Iranian communities and notes the demographics of Los Angeles and Miami, cities with large Iranian and Cuban American populations.

The articles say many residents of those cities fled authoritarian regimes, and the New York Post also highlights this context to explain why the remarks drew outrage.

Both pieces describe immediate public backlash and condemnation after a resurfaced livestream clip.

“A far-left University of Maryland research assistant is facing backlash after appearing to joke about bombing parts of Los Angeles and Miami to kill Cuban and Iranian Americans who support President Trump’s military strikes against Iran”

California Post

They present the incident as a provocation targeting immigrant communities and prompting public outcry.

The California Post explicitly says the comments "have prompted public condemnation."

The New York Post emphasizes outrage tied to the combination of violent imagery and an ethnic slur directed at diaspora communities.

Available reporting in the two snippets outlines the core allegations and public reaction but lacks comprehensive detail.

The California Post and New York Post focus on the clip’s content, the targeted communities, and the ensuing backlash.

New York Post

Neither of the provided snippets includes a quoted University of Maryland statement or information on any follow-up actions or disciplinary steps.

The absence of Lakhdar-Hamina’s broader record or a rebuttal in these snippets limits what can be definitively reported from these sources alone.