Right-Wing Republicans in Congress Attack Mamdani With Islamophobic Comments
Representative Andy Ogles, a hard-right Tennessee Republican, on Thursday used Islamophobic language on social media to refer to Zohran Mamdani, the presumptive Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, and said he should be deported.
Representative Nancy Mace, Republican of South Carolina, implied that Mr. Mamdani was somehow tied to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which occurred when he was 9. That came after Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, reacted on Wednesday to Mr. Mamdani's apparent victory with an edited image of the Statue of Liberty clothed in a burqa.
The responses to Mr. Mamdani's electoral triumph were the latest examples of how far-right Republicans in Congress have become overt in their use of bigoted language and ethnically offensive tropes, in both casual comments and official statements.
Mr. Mamdani, a three-term New York State assemblyman who is all but certain to win the Democratic primary for mayor, was born in Uganda and has lived in New York City since 1998, when he was 7 years old. He was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2018 and, if elected, would become the city's first Muslim mayor.
There is no credible evidence to suggest Mr. Mamdani is not, or shouldn't be, a U.S. citizen. But his shock win put him on the national radar, and some Republicans in Congress are now seeking to undermine him using a strategy similar to the racist one that Donald J. Trump employed against former President Barack Obama by questioning whether he was born in the United States.
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25 minutes ago
Mamdani's New York mayoral primary win exposes Democratic divide
Just hours after Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani declared victory in New York 's mayoral primary on Wednesday, a small group of business leaders convened with Mayor Eric Adams, who bypassed the Democratic primary and is instead running in the general election as an independent. Attendees were focused on strategizing how to prevent Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblymember, from winning the mayoralty -- and assessing whether Adams was the strongest contender to oppose him in November. Among those present was former NYC mayoral candidate and former hedge fund executive Whitney Tilson, who recently shared a debate stage with Mamdani. Tilson described Mamdani as 'very charming and charismatic,' but added he sharply disagrees with Mamdani's policies and '[About] 5% of New York City voters picked him… It's a totally rigged closed primary.' Tilson told ABC News when it became clear the race was between two people, he had hoped former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo would win. 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However, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he's not aware of any progressives who are 'quaking in their boots about a particular scenario' and that serious Mamdani supporters' worries come not from threats, but 'because we should be worried of the unknown, and no one should take this general election lightly.' 'It's more than ironic that Ackman thinks he has anything left to say to anybody in the Democratic Party after his activities last few months,' de Blasio told ABC News. 'As some of these people are flailing about, they are only reminding people that Zohran's positions are going to be the majority positions in this town.' The former mayor, whom Mamdani said was the best in his lifetime, said he doesn't believe the accusations of radicalism or extremism will stick, pointing to Mamdani's strong margins from Tuesday night. 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His campaign told ABC News he's committed to meeting 'with anyone and everyone.' 'As Zohran has said throughout this campaign, he'll meet with anyone and everyone to move our city forward. Zohran's committed to delivering an administration of excellence that delivers an affordable and safe city for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected,' Mamdani campaign spokesperson Lekha Sunder said in a statement. Mark Gorton, founder of LimeWire and chairman of Tower Research Capital hedge fund, said he donated $250,000 to Cuomo's super PAC, Fix the City, after it became clear that his preferred candidate, Brad Lander, would not win the primary. However, Gorton acknowledged to ABC News he did so reluctantly. 'I was like, 'I'm tired of being on the outside -- I want to be on the inside,' he said. Still, he knew his top concerns -- support for cyclists, reducing car traffic and expanding bus service -- were not priorities for Cuomo. 'Cuomo was a disaster,' the activist, who started a non-profit focused on New York's streets nearly three decades ago, said. 'He didn't even show up at the candidate forum and drives around in a Dodge Charger.' Gorton said he felt relieved when Cuomo lost, noting that both Mamdani and Lander are strong on the issues he cares about. If November's election were held today, he said, he would vote for Mamdani. When asked whether he would contribute to Mamdani's campaign, Gorton hesitated. 'He doesn't need my money. Money doesn't always make a difference," he said. Some Democrats in New York's Congressional delegation are distancing themselves from Mamdani. Speaking on WNYC's "The Brian Lehrer Show" on Thursday Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand declined to say who she would endorse. When pressed, she said: 'I vote in Albany,' and will leave the decision to New York City voters. Rep. 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