Wheat and Drumm cite Weaver's remarks in property-rights op-ed
J. Marc WheatGeneral counsel, Advancing American Freedom (op-ed co-authored with research assistant Davison Drumm)
Advancing American Freedom's J. Marc Wheat and Davison Drumm wrote in a Washington Examiner op-ed that New York City official Cea Weaver has said she would like to "seize private property" and that she claimed homeownership "is a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as 'wealth building' public policy." They present her as an example of Democratic Socialists of America disdain for private property and argue that the Supreme Court should restore property rights.
“The DSA, exemplified by Weaver, has not been shy in its disdain for private property and "ESPECIALLY homeownership," which she claimed "is a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as 'wealth building' public policy."”
Analysis
Where this statement fits
Cea Weaver’s “impoverish the white middle class” and homeownership remarks
A deleted November 2018 post attributed to New York City tenant official Cea Weaver said, “Impoverish the white middle class. Homeownership is racist / failed public policy.” The wording resurfaced after Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Weaver to lead the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants. Critics called the language racist, extreme, or disqualifying; defenders emphasized Weaver’s tenant-advocacy record and argued that the backlash served real-estate interests. Weaver expressed regret for some old wording without specifically retracting this sentence.
Source and context
Analysis
About this source
Washington Examiner op-ed by AAF general counsel J. Marc Wheat and research assistant Davison Drumm, citing Cea Weaver's remarks as evidence for a broader argument about property rights.
Before the quotation
Co-authored op-ed with Davison Drumm arguing the Supreme Court should hear two property-rights cases.
After the quotation
The op-ed goes on to argue the Supreme Court should hear two pending property-rights cases.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Wheat and Drumm present Weaver's remarks as an example of Democratic Socialists of America disdain for private property and criticize those remarks as part of a broader property-rights argument.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Cea Weaver
Corrections to this statement
These notices document reporting corrections, classification changes, and topic-label updates.
Reporting correction
Correction to: Statement by J. Marc Wheat
- Previous language
- This statement quoted J. Marc Wheat and Davison Drumm as writing "sacred right to seize private property... a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as "wealth building" public policy," and its summary said they cited Cea Weaver's remarks about a government "sacred right to seize private property."
- Corrected language
- This statement now quotes the sentence in which Wheat and Drumm write that Weaver has shown disdain for private property and "ESPECIALLY homeownership," which she claimed "is a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as 'wealth building' public policy." Its summary now says they wrote that Weaver has said she would like to "seize private property."
We attributed the phrase "sacred right to seize private property" to the Washington Examiner op-ed by Wheat and Drumm in error. The op-ed does not contain that phrase, which appears in a separate Washington Examiner op-ed by George Landrith. The op-ed by Wheat and Drumm says Weaver would like to "seize private property" and describes her as claiming that homeownership "is a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as 'wealth building' public policy."
This corrects our account of what happened.
Washington Examiner op-ed by AAF general counsel J. Marc Wheat and research assistant Davison Drumm, citing Cea Weaver's remarks as evidence for a broader argument about property rights.
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- Wheat and Drumm cite Weaver's remarks in property-rights op-ed
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The Dispute Index. "Wheat and Drumm cite Weaver's remarks in property-rights op-ed". First published: 2026-09-17. Last updated: 2026-09-26. https://disputeindex.com/events/785-advancing-american-freedom-s-j-marc-wheat-and