The election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City’s first Muslim mayor has triggered a wave of outrage across the right, from social media personalities to the halls of Congress.
Within hours of Mamdani’s decisive win Tuesday night, far-right influencers and Republican officials cast the democratic socialist as an existential threat, their reactions filled with anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Congressman Randy Fine, R-Fla., who has previously called for Mamdani to be investigated, denaturalized and deported, declared that “Legal immigrants who hate America elected a Communist Muslim Jihadist.”
“New York City has fallen,” he wrote on X. “America is next if we don’t stop it.”
“Under Kathy Hochul’s weak catastrophic leadership, New York City has now fallen to a pro-Hamas, Defund the Police, Tax Hiking, Antisemite Jihadist Communist,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is reportedly planning to challenge Hochul, the Democratic governor next year. “And instead of standing up for hardworking New York families, Kathy Hochul proved once again that she is truly the Worst Governor in America with her desperate endorsement of Commie Mamdani.”
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., meanwhile, cast his state as a refuge for the city’s supposed victims: “Florida has welcomed those fleeing communist and socialist regimes for decades. Tonight is no different—Florida will welcome all freedom-loving New Yorkers!”
President Donald Trump had telegraphed his disdain for Mamdani in the days before the vote, calling him a “communist” and threatening to cut off federal funds to New York if he won. He eventually endorsed former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who ran as an Independent after losing the primary in June — on the eve of the election. When Mamdani clinched the victory, Trump posted on Truth Social: “AND SO IT BEGINS.” On Wednesday, the president also admitted that the record-breaking government shutdown also hurt Republicans in elections.
The outrage extended into MAGA media circles.
“We have a major Islam problem in America,” declared Trump ally Laura Loomer, calling Mamdani’s victory part of an “Islamic takeover of America.”
“A third world communist just won in New York because New York is a third world city now,” wrote far-right commentator Matt Walsh. “This is mass migration working exactly as intended. It isn’t anymore complicated than that.”
“Professional Republicans will bemoan Mamdani winning the mayor’s race in New York City, and some may even note he won on the strength of support from voters not born in America, and at no point will any of them make the obvious connection that mass immigration is destroying this country,” added Sean Davis, co-founder of conservative online magazine The Federalist.
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Some Trump loyalists saved their bile for Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, whom they accused of splitting the anti-Mamdani vote by refusing to exit the race despite polling far behind the two other candidates.
Disgraced former Congressman George Santos, a New York Republican freed last month after Trump commuted his fraud sentence, wrote, “F*** you @CurtisSliwa, I HATE YOU, your dumb wife, that stupid Beret of yours and all your f***ing cats!”
As of Wednesday morning, Mamdani received just over 50% of the vote, with nearly 91% counted.
