
Mamdani once appeared to defend infamous al Qaeda fiend Anwar al-Awlaki — and blame FBI for radicalizing him: ‘Ridiculous assertion'
Al-Awlaki, who was born in New Mexico to Yemeni parents, became a prominent imam at mosques in San Diego and Virginia, eventually interacting with three of the heinous Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers there, US officials have said.
He was put under surveillance by the FBI after 9/11 — a probe that uncovered among other things the fact that the conservative family-values-preaching Muslim cleric was frequenting prostitutes at hotels.
Advertisement
5 New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani criticized the FBI surveillance of al-Qaeda member Anwar al-Awlaki in resurfaced tweets from 2015.
AFP/Getty Images
5 Mamdani's tweets in response to the New York Times article on al-Awlaki.
X/ZohranKmamdani
Al-Awlaki moved to Yemen in 2004 — where he joined al Qaeda and hatched numerous international terrorist plots while preaching jihad in videos and on CDs.
Advertisement
The cleric was considered so dangerous that then-President Barack Obama approved the drone strike that killed him in 2011 — an unprecedented assassination of an American citizen who had not been charged with a crime.
'He directed the failed attempt to blow up an airplane on Christmas Day in 2009. He directed the failed attempt to blow up US cargo planes in 2010,' Obama said at the time.
'And he repeatedly called on individuals in the United States and around the globe to kill innocent men, women and children to advance a murderous agenda.'
5 Mamdani suggested that the FBI surveillance of al-Awlaki could have led him into joining the terror group.
Paul Martinka for NY Post
Advertisement
But Mamdani, in a series of tweets in 2015, bizarrely criticized the FBI's surveillance of al-Awlaki — and claimed the G-Men actually pushed him into terrorism — after reading a New York Times account of the snooping, which revealed the cleric's hooker fetish.
'Why no proper interrogation of what it means for FBI to have conducted extensive surv. into Awlaki's private life?,' wrote Mamdani, then 23.
'How could #Awlaki have ever trusted@FBI to not release surveillance esp. if he continued to critique [the] state? Why no further discussion of how #Awlaki's knowledge of surv. eventually led him to #alqaeda? Or what that says about [the] efficacy of surv?' Mamdani said.
Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here!
Advertisement
The comments have enraged 9/11 victims' families and US anti-terror officials.
'To blame the United States for al-Awlaki is like blaming the Jews for Hitler,' seethed retired Long Island Rep. Peter King, who chaired the House Homeland Security Committee and served on the Intelligence Committee that received confidential briefings on al-Awlaki.
5 Al-Awlaki was killed in a US drone strike in Yemen in 2011.
AP Photo/SITE Intelligence Group
Fetired FDNY Lt. Jim McCaffrey — whose brother-in-law-law, FDNY Battalion 7 Chief Orio Palmer, rushed into the World Trade Center's south tower to try to help people before the building collapsed on him and hundreds of others during the hijacked-plane strike — called Mamdani's comments 'very offensive to 9/11 victims and their families.
'It's offensive to all New Yorkers and all Americans,' he said.
'It's an absolutely ridiculous assertion on Mamdani's part. The FBI agents were doing their job,' said McCaffrey, who himself spent many days participating in search and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. 'This guy al-Awlaki had connections to al Qaeda. But [Mamdani's] blaming the FBI?'
5 Mamdani speaking at a rally with labor union leaders on July 2, 2025.
Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
McCaffrey said it was 'eye-opening' and 'frightening' that Mamandi, a 33-year-old Queens state assemblyman, is now the favorite to be elected the next mayor of New York City.
Advertisement
Tom Von Essen, the city fire commissioner during 9/11, said, 'Just what NYC needs — another mayor who blames the government for creating criminals.
'We tried this with Bill de Blasio. It can not end well,' he said, referring the lefty former mayor roundly criticized for his disastrous soft-on-crime policies.
King added, 'Mamdani is making excuses and rationalizing al-Awlaki joining al Qaeda.
Advertisement
'He's trying to blame the US for him becoming a terrorist. It's an absolute disgrace. It should disqualify Mamdani from being mayor of New York City.
'Al-Awlaki was an evil man. It was a great victory to eliminate him from the face of the Earth,' King said.
Intelligence sources claimed al-Awlaki's disciples had been linked to about a quarter of the Islamists convicted of terrorism-related offenses in the United States from 2007 until his death.
Mamdani's other slick, savvy and cheeky videos on social media helped power his victory over ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary.
Advertisement
But he has also gotten blowback for some controversial postings in his digital footprint.
A Jewish advocacy group, StopAntisemitism, slammed the Democratic socialist mayoral candidate for posting a separate 'sick' video mocking Hannukah and 'cosplaying Jews.'
Mamdani shared a video on his X account last year from the Geeta Brothers Duet Group showing two men wearing wigs dancing behind a menorah, playing with dreidels and celebrating with Punjabi-style music.
Advertisement
Mamdani was also shown in a video in 2021 leading 'BDS' chants in a push to boycott Israel during a pro-Palestinian protest outside the Israeli Consulate in Manhattan.
The pol's camp did not respond to a Post request for comment on his 2015 tweets.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Business Insider
40 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Startup founders and others in tech call on Sequoia Capital to act after a partner called Zohran Mamdani an 'Islamist'
Sequoia Capital, one of the largest and oldest global VC firms, is facing pressure over a partner's online remarks. Signatories self-identified as founders, investors, and tech workers have signed an open letter calling for Sequoia Capital to take disciplinary action against one of its high-profile partners after he called New York City mayoral Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani an "Islamist" on X. As of writing, the letter appeared to have hundreds of signatures, though at least several of them appeared to be trolls using made-up or fake names. The list includes some business leaders who have previously raised capital from Sequoia-linked funds. That includes Hosam Arab, CEO of Dubai-based fintech Tabby; Hisham Al-Falih, CEO of Lean Technologies; and Ahmed Sabbah, cofounder of Egyptian payments company Telda. They did not respond to requests for comment from BI but confirmed to Bloomberg that they had signed the letter. Some tech workers who self-identified as working for prominent companies such as Microsoft, Turo, Google, and Apple also appeared to have signed the petition. "Mamdani comes from a culture that lies about everything," Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia, posted on X on July 4. He included a screenshot referencing The New York Times' reporting about how Mamdani marked his identity on a college application. "It's literally a virtue to lie if it advances his Islamist agenda," Maguire wrote in a post. Maguire's post was met with backlash on X, and the open letter appeared over the weekend. It demands a public apology from Sequoia, a formal investigation into Maguire's conduct, a zero-tolerance policy on hate speech, and the creation of a hotline for reporting discriminatory behavior. The letter gives Sequoia Capital until July 14 to respond. "As founders building the future of technology, we cannot accept leadership from a firm whose partners engage in hate speech and spread bigotry," the letter states. "Maguire's conduct not only tarnishes Sequoia's reputation, it also undermines your ability to serve a global, diverse founder ecosystem." Sequoia Capital declined to comment when reached by Business Insider on Monday. Maguire, when reached by BI, also declined to comment but noted several follow-up posts he made in response to the backlash, including a 28-minute video he posted early Sunday morning defending calling Mamdani an Islamist. Maguire said that his criticism was political, not religious or racial, adding that "Islamist" was a political ideology and not the same as Muslim. He also criticized Mamdani's father, Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani, accusing him of "radical left-wing Islamism." "To any Muslim that is not an Islamist, and to any Indian that took offense to this tweet, I am very, very sorry," he said in the video. Mamdani's team did not respond to a request for comment. The candidate has previously teared up when speaking with CBS News about the comments he gets, being the first Muslim to run for mayor of New York City. "I get messages that say 'the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim,'" he said. "I get threats on my life, on the people that I love." Mamdani's affordability-focused platform does not advance any religious ideals. He seeks to expand protection for the LGBTQ+ community, raise the minimum wage, and implement free childcare, among other initiatives. Maguire has previously been vocal about politics and sparked controversy online. In 2024, he wrote in a lengthy post on X, saying that he donated $300,000 to get Trump elected as president shortly after Trump was convicted of falsifying business records, though he said at the time his political donations were personal and "did not reflect the views of Sequoia." He also said late last year that he donated another $500,000 to the America PAC founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. In January, he called diversity, equity, and inclusion policies "structural racism" in another post on X.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Musk tweaks Trump with Jeffrey Epstein post
Tech billionaire Elon Musk trolled President Trump early Monday with a post knocking the administration for making no arrests related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Musk, Trump's former ally-turned-foe, posted an image to his social platform X of 'The Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter,' set to '0000.' 'What's the time? Oh look, it's no-one-has-been-arrested-o'clock again …,' Musk captioned the photo. 'This is the final straw,' Musk responded to an earlier Monday post, which knocked the Trump administration for initially promising to release the 'Epstein list' before reportedly saying, 'There is no Epstein list.' The post came after Axios reported on a memo Sunday evening revealing the Justice Department and FBI have concluded there is no evidence that Epstein, a convicted sex offender, blackmailed powerful figures or kept a 'client list,' as many conspiracy theories suggest. The memo, according to Axios, also says there's no evidence to suggest Epstein was murdered — supporting a medical examiner's report that he died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019. According to the news outlet, the two-page memo also suggests no one else involved in the Epstein case will be charged. The Hill has reached out to the Justice Department for comment. Trump's feud with Musk came to a head last month, when the Tesla chief executive said it was time to drop 'the really big bomb.' '[Trump] is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public,' Musk wrote on X at the time. 'Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out,' he followed up minutes later. Trump, before he was elected in November, said he would have 'no problem' releasing files related to Epstein, something some lawmakers and many on social media have called for after the financier's death. The president last year denied any connection to Epstein, writing on social media, 'I was never on Epstein's Plane, or at his 'stupid' Island. Strong Laws ought to be developed against A.I. It will be a big and very dangerous problem in the future!' Musk's allegation last month came just minutes after Trump threatened to cancel government contracts with his 2024 campaign's largest contributor's companies. Earlier Sunday, Trump issued a lengthy post attacking Musk for calling for the creation of a third party, saying, 'I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely 'off the rails,' essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.' 'He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States – The System seems not designed for them,' he added. 'The one thing Third Parties are good for is the creation of Complete and Total DISRUPTION & CHAOS, and we have enough of that with the Radical Left Democrats, who have lost their confidence and their minds!' The Hill has contacted the White House for comment on Musk's remarks. Updated at 10:28 a.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Trump Issues Warning to Zohran Mamdani If He Becomes Mayor
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump warned Democratic mayoral primary winner and state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani that if he becomes New York City mayor, he "better behave" or he will have "big problems," after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asked if he's worried about Mamdani arresting him. Newsweek reached out to Mamdani's campaign via email Monday for comment. Why It Matters Mamdani defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the ranked-choice Democratic contest two weeks ago, sending shock waves throughout the party. The New York state assemblyman secured his position atop the Democratic ticket by campaigning on affordability and social welfare, outpacing Cuomo, who had based his campaign on experience and combating antisemitism. Following the primary outcome, Cuomo has left open the possibility of an independent run, while incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Republican Curtis Sliwa prepare for November's general election. Mamdani's ascent represents a pivotal moment for New York City and the national Democratic Party, as a democratic socialist has defeated a veteran of the centrist establishment. His platform—centered on free public transport, universal child care, rent freezes and publicly owned grocery stores—diverges from mainstream New York Democrats and signals rising influence for progressive and socialist movements within urban politics. The lawmaker has yet to secure formal backing from prominent New York Democrats like Senator Chuck Schumer, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Governor Kathy Hochul. What To Know While speaking to reporters alongside Netanyahu and other Cabinet members, the president ripped Mamdani, calling him a "communist," in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, by conservative commentator Brigitte Gabriel. Trump also accused the New York assemblyman of saying "some really bad things" about Jewish people. When asked if he takes Mamdani's comment about arresting him if he entered New York City seriously, Netanyahu said he is "not concerned about that." Trump quickly responded that he would "get him out." The president later added that New Yorkers don't know who the mayor will be yet, "but this is a communist. He's not a socialist, he's a communist," Trump said. "I think he's going through a little bit of a honeymoon right now, but he might make it. But you know, it all comes through the White House; he needs the money through the White House, he needs a lot," the president added. "He's going to behave. He'll behave; he better behave; otherwise, he's going to have big problems." Trump then added that Mamdani's philosophy is something the United States is "not ready for and it never will be." Mamdani has seemingly defended the phrase "globalize Intifada" as "a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights." He has also called antisemitism a "real issue" in New York City and said Hamas' attack of Israel on October 7 was a "war crime." Zohran Mamdani, Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, can be seen leaving a news conference celebrating his primary victory with leaders and members of the city's labor unions on July 2 in New York.... Zohran Mamdani, Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, can be seen leaving a news conference celebrating his primary victory with leaders and members of the city's labor unions on July 2 in New York. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) More What People Are Saying Political science professor at Columbia University, Robert Y. Shapiro, to Newsweek via email Monday night when asked if Trump and Mamdani could find common ground: "I think Trump would continue to use him as a foil and to associate all Democrats and the Democratic party with all of Mamdani's traits and proposed and alleged policies Trump has already been attacking." Shapiro continued: "The trait and policies that would make Democrats appear too far to the left and out of the mainstream as the 2026 midterm elections approach. It would be a way to continue to distract everyone from the less desirable and effective things Trump has been trying to do. The cynical view would be that Trump is looking for a reason to have federal troops join ICE in rounding up undocumented immigrants that Mamdani tries to protect, and to arrest local officials who get in their way. "Mamdani would do well not to take the bait and move forward with the policies he has proposed to improve people's lives in New York City, and figure out a way, with the good will he might get in winning the general election, to work with the business and real estate community and other groups who have opposed him. There is little chance that he and Trump could work together," Shapiro concluded. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont posted to X on Monday: "Today, a war criminal under indictment from the ICC will be welcomed to the White House. Trump, like Biden before him, has aided and abetted the extremist Netanyahu government as it has systematically killed and starved civilians in Gaza. It is a shameful day in America." Mamdani, last week on X: "Donald Trump is attacking me because he is desperate to distract from his war on working people. We must and we will fight back." What Happens Next The general election for New York City mayor is November 4.