Kash Patel Slammed Assata Shakur Tributes as Disrespectful to Fallen Police
Patel Condemns Public Praise for Shakur After Her Death in Cuba
Kash Patel criticized online tributes to Assata Shakur following her death in Havana last week, calling the praise an insult to law enforcement and the memory of slain New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster.
“Joanne Chesimard didn’t ‘fight for justice.’ She murdered New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in cold blood then fled to Cuba to escape accountability. The FBI never stopped calling her what she was: a terrorist,” Patel wrote on X. “Mourning her is spitting on the badge and the blood of every cop who gave their life in service.”
Patel, 45, a former federal prosecutor and Trump administration official, currently serves as FBI Director under former President Donald Trump.
Joanne Chesimard didn’t “fight for justice.” She murdered New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in cold blood, then fled to Cuba to escape accountability. The FBI never stopped calling her what she was: a terrorist.
Mourning her is spitting on the badge and the blood of every… pic.twitter.com/letscTdaBG
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 28, 2025
Shakur’s History and Criminal Conviction
Shakur, born Joanne Chesimard, was a member of the Black Liberation Army and the godmother of Tupac Shakur. She was convicted in 1973 of killing Foerster during a traffic stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. After escaping prison in 1979, she fled to Cuba, where Fidel Castro granted her asylum in 1984.
The FBI later placed Shakur on its “Most Wanted Terrorists” list, offering a $1 million reward for information leading to her capture. She remained in Cuba until her death in April 2024 at an undisclosed age.
Tributes From Political and Educational Groups
Despite her criminal record, several progressive organizations honored Shakur’s legacy after her passing. The Democratic Socialists of America posted, “Rest in Power, Assata Shakur. The American state brutally oppressed Assata and her Black Panther Party Comrades. The Cubans welcomed her and other Black Revolutionaries with asylum, and their solidarity and loyalty allowed Assata to live out her days in Havana.”
The Chicago Teachers Union also shared a tribute, writing, “Today we honor the life and legacy of a revolutionary fighter, a fierce writer, a revered elder of Black liberation, and a leader of freedom whose spirit continues to live in our struggle.”
Political Leaders Push Back
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, joined Patel in condemning the tributes. “She was convicted of the murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster, who was executed in cold blood,” Murphy posted on X. “There are so many worthy heroes to celebrate. She is not one of them.”
Shakur’s affiliation with the Black Liberation Army—a militant offshoot of the Black Panther Party—connected her to a group involved in armed robberies, police shootings and bombings in the 1970s.
Shakur’s Defense of Her Actions
In her 1987 autobiography, Shakur claimed she was wrongfully targeted and said she was punished for political beliefs and actions she viewed as justified.
Shakur died in Havana in late April 2024, closing a decades-long chapter of one of the most polarizing figures in American political and criminal history.