Tipsheet

Zohran Mamdani Says That Muslims Were Hit Hard After 9/11

Scott McClallen
Scott McClallen  |  October 25, 2025 1:00 PM

New York City mayor hopefuls sparred for the last time on Friday night before early voting opened on Saturday for the race on Nov. 4. 

Democrats Mamdani, Independent Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa faced off in the final debate before early voting opens in New York City. 

The candidates all traded blows. 

“I did things. You’ve never had a job. You’ve never accomplished anything. There’s no reason to believe you merit or qualification for 8 1/2 million lives,” Cuomo said. “You never showed up for work, and you missed 80 percent of the votes. Shame on you.”

Mamdani fired back: "The issue is that we've all experienced your experience," Mamdani replied, likely referring to Cuomo resigning in 2021 to avoid an impeachment probe over alleged sexual harassment claims, as well as his COVID policies that placed senior citizens in infected nursing homes. 

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Sliwa attacked both candidates:

"Zohran, your resume could fit on a cocktail napkin, and Andrew, your failures could fill a public school library," Sliwa said during the debate. 

In a news conference, Mamdani said that his family was victims of 9/11. His aunt stopped taking the subway after 9/11. 

Mamdani defended himself after a viral picture showed Mamdani posing with a picture of him smiling with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, an unindicted co-conspirator of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six New Yorkers and who has urged “jihad” upon New York City. 

Mamdani praised Wahhaj as “one of the nation’s foremost Muslim leaders and a pillar of the Bed-Stuy community."

Mamdani tried to provide political cover in a campaign ad: 

The irony of the post wasn't lost on some who shared clips of Mamdani trying to drum up support on social media. 

The post's top comment refers to a joke from the late comedian Norm Macdonald: 

CNN commentator Scott Jennings said that if Mamdani wants to win the election, then he shouldn't take pictures of unindicted co-conspirators of the World Trade Center bombings. 

Vice President J.D. Vance has also called out Mamdani for campaigning with the alleged co-conspirator

Businessman Patricke Bet-David warned that many people will leave New York City if Socialist Mamdani becomes Mayor:

“The arrogance of thinking people won’t leave, they have a short memory. They don’t remember what happened in 2020, 2021, 2022 during COVID, which two states lost $1 trillion of money on their management — California and New York — New York lost $1 trillion of wealth.”

“Amazon wanted to bring 25,000 jobs at an average salary of $150,000, de Blasio and AOC said, ‘Hell no, don’t bring them here.’ Bezos said ‘You don’t want me, no problem, I’ll take these jobs elsewhere’. You’re going to get that and then some with Mamdani.”

This week, former Mayor Eric Adams endorsed Cuomo.