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FIRST ON FOX: Newly minted Arizona Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh was sworn in to the US House on Friday and revealed to Fox News Digital that he honored the life of IS victim Kayla Mueller by using her family’s Bible during the ceremony in Washington, DC.
“This year will mark 10 years since the tragic loss of Kayla Mueller, a beacon of selflessness and courage whose legacy continues to inspire Americans across the country. Kayla’s parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller, have endured the pain unimaginable to lose their daughter and have endured years of uncertainty surrounding her fate,” Hamadeh told Fox News Digital. “Her strength and resilience are the foundation of Kayla’s extraordinary spirit.”
Mueller was a humanitarian worker from Arizona kidnapped by terrorists as she left a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Aleppo, Syria, in 2013. She was held hostage for 18 months, when she was believed to have been repeatedly tortured and raped by IS militants, including then-leader of IS Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Mueller was killed in February 2015.
KAYLA MUELLER’S PARENTS PRAISE TRUMP, SOLDIERS FOR THE ROCK THAT KILLED AL-BAGHDADI
Arizona Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh with Kayla Mueller’s parents on Jan. 3, 2025. (Fox Digital)
Mueller’s parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller, have previously praised President-elect Trump for carrying out a 2019 military mission that killed al-Baghdadi and spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention.
“The Trump team gave us empathy that we never got from the Obama administration. Kayla should be here. If Donald Trump had been president when Kayla was in captivity, she would be here today,” Carl Mueller said.
Kayla Mueller was an aid worker from Arizona. (Associated Press, file)
Hamadeh cited the Muellers’ 2020 RNC address in his remarks to Fox Digital, reflecting on how the young woman’s mother read a letter her daughter wrote while incarcerated, which read: “I have been shown to the light from the darkness and I’ve learned that even in prison, one can be free.”
Family Bible by Kayla Mueller. (Fox Digital)
“What a powerful thing to write in the face of such horror. Kayla’s unwavering faith and inner strength were a reflection of the values instilled by her remarkable parents,” Hamadeh said.
“As I take the oath of office, I am deeply honored to fulfill my promise to the Muellers and the American people by being sworn in to Congress using Kayla’s family Bible. It serves as a testament to her unwavering belief in the light on darkness and freedom over darkness.”
Arizona Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh with Kayla Mueller’s parents on Jan. 3, 2025. (Kayla Mueller Family)
Hamadeh, 33, is an Army veteran and former Maricopa County prosecutor who won his election to represent Arizona’s 8th Congressional District in the 2024 cycle. The candidate endorsed by Trumpson of Syrian immigrants, joined Fox News Digital in November for his first interview since winning the election, celebrated the GOP’s successes across the country and advanced his top priorities.
ARIZONA GOVERNOR, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR UNVEILS PAINTING HONORING KAYLA MUELLER
“I know that electoral integrity is also at the top of my list, because without secure elections, we cannot have a republic. And so I know that the top priorities will be: electoral integrity, border security, as well as We will certainly increase our energy independence, because that will help reduce inflation quickly once we start growing the economy.” Hamadeh told Fox Digital at that time.
Republican Abe Hamadeh is an army veteran. (Abe for Arizona)
“(Trump) does have a mandate from the American people,” Hamadeh added. “The last time a Republican won the popular vote and the Electoral College was in 2004 with a sitting president, President George W. Bush. You know, the last time he was a non-incumbent, I think, was 1988 under George HW Bush. And he was still at least the vice president at the time. So this was a historic mandate. And President Trump, I’m going to support him all the way through Congress and I’m going to make sure that we turn our country around very quickly.”
Hamadeh told Fox Digital that he will carry Kayla Mueller’s legacy with him he goes deep into his work in Congress.
“Kayla’s memory calls us to live with purpose and courage, and I will carry her legacy with me as I fight for the freedoms and values she held so dear. I am eternally grateful to Carl and Marsha Mueller for entrusting me with this sacred honor .and for her enduring faith in our country’s ability to uphold the principles that Kayla embodies,” he said.
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Hamadeh’s swearing-in ceremony follows a tragic terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day that left at least 14 dead and dozens injured when a truck plowed through a crowd of people on Bourbon Street.
Authorities confirmed that an ISIS flag was recovered from the suspect’s car and reported that the individual was “inspired” by the terrorist organization. But they believe he acted alone in the attack.
Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
