 "Zohran Mamdani's progressive platform has resonated with young and alienated voters. AP")
US Vice President JD Vance on Saturday slammed New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani after the Democratic Socialist candidate gave an emotional speech about his Muslim identity and family’s experiences after the September 11 attacks. Mamdani claimed that his aunt stopped taking the subway after September 11 because she did not feel safe in her hijab.
Speaking outside a Bronx mosque ahead of the city’s mayoral election, Mamdani denounced “racist” attacks from his rivals and pledged to proudly embrace his Muslim faith. Fighting back tears, he recalled how his aunt “stopped taking the subway after September 11 because she did not feel safe in her hijab.”
Vance later mocked Mamdani on X, writing, “According to Zohran, the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks,” while sharing a clip of the speech.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old Queens Assemblyman, said he had initially tried to downplay his faith to appeal to a wider audience but now regretted doing so. “I thought if I behaved well enough, or bit my tongue enough, I’d be seen as more than just my faith. I was wrong,” he said. “I will not change who I am or how I eat for the faith I’m proud to call my own.”
He also criticised opponents Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa for “Islamophobic” comments. Cuomo had suggested Mamdani would “be cheering” if “another 9/11” occurred, while Sliwa accused him of backing “global jihad.”
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More ShortsDespite the attacks, Mamdani vowed to continue representing all New Yorkers, saying, “I will no longer look for myself in the shadows. I will find myself in the light.”
Early voting began Saturday in the closely watched race featuring Democrat Zohran Mamdani, Republican Curtis Sliwa, and independent candidate Andrew Cuomo.