Within moments of declaring victory Tuesday night, Zohran Mamdani — the Democrats’ presumptive nominee for mayor of New York City — became a target of Republicans of Congress.

Many attacked his affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America. But some on the right went further, zeroing in on his Muslim faith and hurling Islamophobic insults. 

What You Need To Know

  • Within moments of declaring victory Tuesday night, Zohran Mamdani — the Democrats’ presumptive nominee for mayor of New York City — became a target of Republicans of Congress

  • Many attacked his affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America. But some on the right went further, zeroing in on his Muslim faith and hurling Islamophobic insults

  • Several Democrats denounced the attacks, with some accusing the Republicans of racism

Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina posted an image of Mamdani with the caption, “After 9/11 we said ‘Never Forget.’ I think we sadly have forgotten.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia shared an apparent AI-generated makeover of the Statue of Liberty wrapped in a black cloth, writing, “This hits hard.” 

And Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General, calling for her to revoke Mamdani’s citizenship and deport him. (Mamdani became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018.)

Labeling him “little Muhammad,” Ogles called Mamdani antisemitic and accused him of supporting terrorists, citing lyrics from 2017 during Mamdani’s time as a rapper. 

Several Democrats denounced the attacks, with some accusing the Republicans of racism. 

“Many of my colleagues have Islamophobia, are xenophobic, are just outright bigots, sadly,” said Rochester-area Rep. Joseph Morelle. 

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who has not yet formally endorsed Mamdani, blasted Ogles in an Instagram video, saying, “We need to throw you [Ogles] out of the United States Congress. You are a fraud. You are a complete and total embarrassment. How the hell did you get elected?”

Sen. Chuck Schumer, who has also not formally endorsed Mamdani, said Ogle’s calls to deport Mamdani are “disgusting.” 

And Rep. Ritchie Torres, who backed Andrew Cuomo in the primary, wrote in a social media post, “It is no secret that I have profound disagreements with Zohran Mamdani. But every Democrat — and every decent person — should speak out with moral clarity against the despicable Islamophobic attacks that have been directed at him.”

Muslim American members of Congress also released a statement, saying they “reject the normalization of anti-Muslim hate and fearmongering.”

In an interview, Staten Island Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican who is eager to see Mamdani lose in November, took issue with the comments and posts made by her GOP colleagues. 

Asked if she viewed the comments as racist, Malliotakis said, “I think they are terrible comments. They're just not, they're not productive.”

“I expect that from, sadly, from people who are not from our city, that are just looking to score cheap political points. I'm looking to actually ensure that this guy is defeated and we save our city,” she added. 

Spectrum News NY1 reached out to Speaker Mike Johnson’s office, asking if the top House Republican finds these comments from members of his own caucus appropriate. His team did not respond by deadline. Neither did Ogles’ team, when asked if they wanted to respond to the accusations of bigotry.