Champagne socialist Zohran Mamdani weds wife at million-dollar compound owned by his wealthy parents
Mamdani, 33, shocked the political world when he defeated Andrew Cuomo to win the Democrat nomination to run the Big Apple, campaigning on far left policy and drawing controversy for his anti-Israel views.
The state assemblyman recently took a break from the campaign to visit Uganda, where he was born and spent the first few years of his life being raised by his filmmaker mother Mira Nair and academic father Mahmood Mamdani.
The socialist Queens politician reportedly held a three-day celebration after he eloped with 27-year-old illustrator Rama Duwaji this past February.
Not only was the affair held in the wealthy Buziga Hill area of Kampala in a compound owned by his parents, outside traffic for the anti-ICE leftist's wedding party was watched by armed and masked security guards, with one witness claiming nine guards were watching one entrance.
Security was so tight, the party even had a cellphone-jamming system, The New York Post reports.
Invited guests partied past midnight to celebrate Mamdani and Duwaji - who met on the dating app Hinge - and their recent nuptials.
One of the locals called the wedding in bad taste as the nation was in mourning for former Ugandan Supreme Court Judge George Kanyeihamba, with the party blocking the nation's president from visiting to pay the family his respects.
Andrew Cuomo - still in the mayoral race as an independent following his primary defeat to Mamdani - attempted to poke fun at his rival.
In a poll posted to X, he asked his followers to vote on whether Mamdani's three-day wedding was 'champagne socialism' or 'trust fund socialism.'
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment.
Mamdani's illustrator wife Rama Duwaji, 27, had been low-key during her husband's social media-driven campaign before joining him on stage when he celebrated victory on primary night.
Some critics of the left-wing candidate, 33, had even accused him of 'hiding his wife from NYC ' during his bruising primary against former Governor Cuomo.
But Duwaji was all smiles as she marked her husband's victory on stage, and wrote on Instagram that she 'couldn't possibly be prouder' of him as he shocked his establishment opponent.
Mamdani, who met his wife on the dating app Hinge, lovingly addressed Duwaji in front of his crowd on primary night, saying 'Rama, thank you' as he kissed her hand.
The potential future First Lady of the Big Apple says on her Instagram bio that she is 'from Damascus', however a Mamdani campaign spokesperson told the New York Times that she was actually born in Texas.
In a poll posted to X, he asked his followers to vote on whether Mamdani's three-day wedding was 'champagne socialism' or 'trust fund socialism'
She is best known for her illustrations and animations, many of which are pro-Palestine themed and criticize Israel and the Trump administration.
Duwaji's artwork has appeared in numerous galleries including London's Tate Modern, and has been included in news outlets including the New Yorker, the BBC and the Washington Post.
As his wife's lack of presence on the campaign trail became a source of ammunition for his opponents, Mamdani took on his critics with an Instagram post of his own.
'If you take a look at Twitter today, or any day for that matter, you know how vicious politics can be,' Mamdani wrote alongside images from their civil ceremony.
'I usually brush it off, whether it's death threats or calls for me to be deported. But it's different when it's about those you love.
'Three months ago, I married the love of my life, Rama, at the City Clerk's office. Now, right-wing trolls are trying to make this race – which should be about you – about her.'
He added: 'You can critique my views, but not my family... (Rama) isn't just my wife, she's an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms.'
Among Duwaji's recent artworks shared to her Instagram include calls to release previously detained Columbia student and pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was locked up by the Trump administration for months without being charged with a crime before he was freed in June.
In May, she also shared an animation condemning Israel's treatment of civilians in Gaza, which showed a woman holding a bowl that read 'it's not a hunger crisis... it is deliberate starvation.'
Duwaji's thrust into the limelight comes as her husband rapidly rose to national prominence with his surprise victory.
The 33-year-old has faced mounting questions about his experience since he gained traction and ultimately won the Democratic primary, with his only public service work coming as a state assemblyman.
In the state assembly, Mamdani promoted few bills, and his legislative record includes co-sponsoring bills requiring prisons to house inmates based on their self-declared gender, preventing law enforcement from asking about a perp's immigration status, and forcing small businesses to make their product packaging eco-friendly.
Critics have said a Mamdani win will see the Big Apple slide back into the type of permissive lawlessness that scarred the city during the COVID crisis, but which woke locals and lawmakers scoffed at.
When asked by Good Morning America about his lack of experience, Mamdani avoided talking about his record and turned the question back on his recent run for mayor.
'The experience that I show in this moment is to be able to meet the crisis that New Yorkers are facing, and deliver them a new kind of city,' he said.
'One that is unencumbered by the old ways.'
Mamdani has described himself as 'Trump's worst nightmare', and his far-left policy platform sharply divided the nation as he gained traction in the mayor's race.
He says he wants to raise taxes on the top one percent of New York earners - something the mayor does not have the authority to do - and make a number of city services free including childcare and buses.
The city assemblyman has also proposed spending $65 million on transgender care, freezing rent on rent-stabilized apartments, and creating city-owned grocery stores.
He has also advocated for defunding the city's police department, defended pro- Palestine slogans like 'globalize the intifada' - which critics say is an anti-Semitic call for the destruction of Israel - and said he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Trump tells 'Sir Flip Flop' Keir Starmer how to see off Farage: US President tells PM to cut taxes and tackle 'ruinous' immigration if he ever wants to bury Reform UK in the polls
Donald Trump yesterday told Keir Starmer to cut taxes and stop the boats if he wants to defeat Nigel Farage. The US President offered Sir Keir his 'simple' formula for defeating the Reform leader – now riding high in the polls – at an extraordinary joint press conference in Scotland. But he warned it would mean cutting taxes, which Labour has raised to the highest level in modern history. And he said Labour would have to cut Britain's 'ruinous' immigration, including ending the Channel crisis to prevent thousands of 'bad people' entering the country illegally. The unsolicited advice came during a chaotic event in front of the TV cameras at Mr Trump's Turnberry golf course in Ayrshire, at which Sir Keir was repeatedly left squirming. President Trump criticised his focus on wind energy as 'disastrous' – and described Labour's London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan as a 'nasty person'. Mr Trump told Sir Keir that 'politics is pretty simple' as he offered him advice on how to emerge on top in 'the thing going on between you and Nigel [Farage]'. He added: 'Generally speaking, the one who cuts taxes the most, the one who gives you the lowest energy prices, the best kind of energy, the one that keeps you out of wars... a few basics... And in your case a big immigration component.' Mr Trump, a long-time friend of Mr Farage, said he liked both men, adding: 'I think the one that's toughest and most competent on immigration is going to win the election, but then you add... low taxes, and you add the economy. '[Sir Keir] did a great thing with the economy, because a lot of money is going to come in because of the [US trade] deal that was made. But I think that immigration is now bigger than ever before.' Almost 20,000 people crossed the Channel illegally in the first six months of this year – a rise of 50 per cent on the same period in 2024. Mr Trump, who put border control at the heart of his winning election campaign last year, warned that the level of migration to the UK was 'ruinous'. He warned that the small boats crossing the Channel were usually 'loaded up with bad people... because other countries don't send their best, they send people that they don't want. 'This is a magnificent part of the world, and you cannot ruin it, you cannot let people come here illegally'. On a day of high-level talks: ■ Sir Keir said the British public are 'revolted' by the scenes of desperate hunger in Gaza, as he prepared for an emergency briefing of the Cabinet this afternoon on a 'peace plan' which will put Britain on the road to recognising a Palestinian state. ■ President Trump pledged action to 'get the children fed' in Gaza, saying: 'That's real starvation stuff... you can't fake that'; ■ Mr Trump set a new deadline of 'ten to 12' days for Vladimir Putin to agree a ceasefire in Ukraine; ■ He warned against the Government's inheritance tax raid on farmers, saying he had scrapped similar plans in the US following a string of suicides; ■ He praised King Charles, and spoke of his love of the UK and enthusiasm for a September state visit; ■ Mr Trump savaged Labour's obsession with wind farms, saying the UK was paying 'massive subsidies to have these ugly monsters all over the place'. Yesterday's talks came during a 'private' four-day trip to Scotland during which Mr Trump has held meetings with a number of leading political figures while visiting his two golf courses in the country. In a highly unusual encounter, Mr Trump effectively acted as host to Sir Keir in his own country, with the PM forced to make a 400-mile pilgrimage to Scotland to build on an unlikely 'bromance'. An hour-long press conference was humiliating at times for the PM. During one excruciating exchange, Mr Trump said Sir Sadiq was a 'nasty person' who had done a 'terrible job'. Sir Keir also had to endure a public lecture on the importance of cutting taxes, which Mr Trump said was key to UK growth – and Labour's electoral fortunes. Referring to Sir Keir, who raised taxes by a record £40billion last year and is expected to raise them again in the autumn, he added: 'The Prime Minister hasn't been here very long. I think he will be a tax cutter.' Government sources last night insisted that the trip had proved worthwhile as Sir Keir tries to galvanize international action behind a plan to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. A source said President Trump was 'very forward leaning on getting aid in'. No 10 was also cheered by Mr Trump's warm language towards Sir Keir. Later Sir Keir flew with Mr Trump in Air Force One from Glasgow airport to a private dinner in Aberdeen. They were due to land at RAF Lossiemouth, because Aberdeen airport's runway is too short for the 747.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
CNN 'fact checks' Trump's hyperbolic claim that Beyoncé was paid $11 million for campaign endorsement
A CNN fact check poured cold water on President Donald Trump 's claim that Kamala Harris ' campaign paid megastar Beyoncé $11 million for an endorsement. The famous singer endorsed Harris at a campaign rally in Houston just weeks before the election last November in a last-minute bid to jolt support for the Democratic nominee. Trump has alleged that Harris's political team illegally paid for the support, and that they should be prosecuted for it. 'I'm looking at the large amount of money owed by the Democrats, after the presidential e lection, and the fact that they admit to paying, probably illegally, eleven million dollars to singer Beyoncé for an endorsement (she never sang, not one note, and left the stage to a booing and angry audience!)' Trump wrote on Saturday. The Truth Social post also alleged that Oprah Winfrey was paid $3 million for 'expenses' and MSNBC's Al Sharpton was given $600,000. 'These ridiculous fees were incorrectly stated in the books and records,' Trump claimed. 'You are not allowed to pay for an endorsement. It is totally illegal to do so.' 'Can you imagine what would happen if politicians started paying for people to endorse them. All hell would break out! Kamala, and all of those that received Endorsement money, broke the law. They should all be prosecuted!' However, an article from CNN's fact checker Daniel Dale asserted that Trump's allegation was baseless. Evidence of the $11 million payment has not been reported. The White House did not respond to the Daily Mail's request for evidence of the multi-million dollar payment. Harris' campaign has denied paying for endorsements and Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles, has called the allegations a 'lie.' 'Beyonce did not receive a penny for speaking at a presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harrris' (sic) Rally in Houston,' Knowles wrote on her Instagram. According to an Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing, Harris' campaign payed the signer's production company, Parkwood Production Media, $165,000 for 'campaign event production.' Additionally, a spokesperson for Harris' campaign said last year that the political operation did not pay for celebrity endorsements, but they did concede that they had to cover costs associated with the production, like staff and equipment. Another denial came when a spokesperson for Beyoncé told PolitiFact last year that the claim the singer was paid millions was 'beyond ridiculous.' Harris' campaign paid a non-profit led by Sharpton a total of $500,000, FEC filings show. The Democrat's political operation also paid Harpo Productions, a company owned by Oprah, $1 million for a live stream event. Trump last spoke about the alleged endorsement payment in February. 'They go out and they pay Beyoncé, as an example. Somebody just showed me something. They gave her $11 million,' the president said at the time. In a May post on Truth Social the president again slammed the alleged payment to Beyoncé while also suggesting that Bruce Springsteen accepted money for his performance at a Harris rally. 'I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter. Candidates aren't allowed to pay for endorsements, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment,' the president wrote. Neither the White House nor Congress have announced probes into the endorsement, which obviously did not move enough votes into Harris' column come Election Day.
Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Telegraph
Inside Zohran Mamdani's lavish wedding at private Ugandan compound
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic socialist, reportedly held a lavish wedding celebration at a private compound in Uganda. The New York mayoral-hopeful is said to have hosted a party last weekend at his parents' property in the billionaire neighbourhood of Buziga Hill, outside of the capital city of Kampala. Mr Mamdani, 33, told social media followers he and his wife, Rama Duwaji, 27, were heading to his home country to celebrate their recent nuptials with his family. His parents' home, set on two acres of land, was guarded by masked security guards with phone-jamming signals set up to ensure complete privacy at the event, according to The Post. The celebration lasted days, with partying late into the night, a source told The New York Post. 'I will be back' Mr Mamdani, making light of racist trolls who told him to 'go back to Africa,' and poking fun at the media interested in his private life, posted on TikTok about the trip. 'Since you will undoubtedly read about this trip in The New York Post – Inshallah on the front page – here are a few of my humble suggestions for headlines,' he said, as Photoshopped front pages popped up on-screen. The headlines read: ''M.I.A IN AFRICA', 'U-GANDA MISS ME', AND 'HE'S GONE KAMPALA-ETELY CRAZY.'' He added: 'I do want to apologise to the haters though, because I will be back.' Mr Mamdani and Ms Duwaji, an artist and animator, married earlier this year after meeting on the dating app Hinge. He stormed the New York mayoral primaries to become the Democratic nominee for the November race. His socialist and anti-Israel policies have drawn criticism, and he has so-far failed to secure endorsements from top Democrats, including House majority leader Hakeem Jeffries, his counterpart in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul. Last week, prominent Jewish Democrat Josh Shapiro accused Mr Mamdani of failing to address 'blatant anti-Semitism among some of his supporters. 'You have to speak and act with moral clarity, and when supporters of yours say things that are blatantly anti-Semitic, you can't leave room for that to just sit there,' the 52-year-old Democrat said of Mr Mamdani. 'You've got to condemn that,' the governor, who is Jewish, added. A self-described anti-Zionist, Mr Mamdani is a vocal supporter of Palestine, who has been accused of inciting anti-Semitism by refusing to condemn the phrase 'globalise the intifada'.
