New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has officially been declared the winner of the New York City mayoral race, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo, who was initially considered the favourite and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. As the first Indian-American to achieve this feat, Mamdani has made history as New York’s first Muslim and first millennial mayor.
But as quickly as Mamdani’s popularity grew, so did the fake news and hoaxes surrounding his campaign. These attacks came not only from conservatives but also from some Democrats who were uneasy about his progressive views.
After he defeated Cuomo, US President Donald Trump and several New York City billionaires, unhappy with the outcome, began targeting him on social media. Anti-Mamdani campaign was launched and social media was soon filled with Islamophobic hate and misinformation.
Below, we look at the most common false claims about Mamdani and what’s really true.
Is Zohran Mamdani an illegal US immigrant?
One of the wildest claims that surfaced online was from Trump himself. During a press event, he said, “A lot of people are saying he’s here illegally. You know, we’re going to look at everything.” But that claim is false. Mamdani was born in Uganda to Indian parents, was raised in Cape Town, South Africa, and moved to New York in 1998 when he was just seven years old. He became a US citizen in 2018, legally and officially.
In response, Mamdani said, “The president of the United States just threatened to have me arrested and deported, not because I’ve broken any law, but because I refuse to let ICE terrorise our city.” He called Trump’s remarks “an attack on democracy.”
Zohran Mamdani and claims about 9/11 and terrorism
Mamdani’s Muslim background was targeted throughout the campaign, especially after his Democratic primary win. Soon after, right-wing figures began spreading hateful and false posts linking him to terrorism, a claim with absolutely no truth.
Trump Jr. shared a post suggesting that New Yorkers were “voting for another 9/11,” while Congresswoman Nancy Mace posted a photo of Mamdani at an Eid prayer, writing, “I think we’ve forgotten 9/11.” Such comments were not only racist and offensive but also completely baseless. Mamdani was just nine years old when the attack happened, living in New York like millions of others. He has no connection to any terror group and has never supported extremist ideas.
He was also linked to Iran and claims surfaced about him wanting to impose Sharia law in New York —- again a pure fictional claims.
Trump calls him a communist — He’s not
Trump labeled Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic.” But Mamdani’s policies are far from communist. He supports raising the minimum wage to $30, expanding childcare, and increasing taxes on the wealthy, ideas similar to what many European democracies already do.
He’s not calling for the government to seize businesses or private property. He ran his campaign on reducing inequality and helping working families. When asked about Trump’s “communist” comment, Mamdani replied, “He talks about how I look, where I’m from, and who I am to distract from what I’m fighting for — working people.”
Zohran Mamdani and the old rap lyrics controversy
Years before politics, Mamdani has a brief career as a rapper. Some old lyrics resurfaced where he mentioned the “Holy Land Five,” a group once accused of sending funds to Hamas.
However, human rights groups later said the case was not only flawed but also politically motivated. They believed that the group was never accused of directly funding terrorism, and many believe they were wrongly prosecuted during the post-9/11 “War on Terror,” reports Rolling Stone. Mamdani himself never endorsed violence in his work as an artist.
Zohran Mamdani and the Antisemitic rant
During the campaign, some opponents tried to portray Mamdani as antisemitic because of his views on Palestine and Israel. As the race got closer, Andrew Cuomo and others tried to claimed that Mamdani was anti-Israel. But, as Rolling Stone’s report suggests, Mamdani has never actually done or said antisemitic. Mamdani has always supported peace and equal rights for both Israelis and Palestinians. In college, he helped start a Students for Justice in Palestine chapter, which focuses on ending violence and supporting human rights.
According to Rolling Stone, he voted every year in favor of New York’s Holocaust Remembrance Day resolution, even if he didn’t sign some email versions of it, which, he explained, was simply due to an office policy. Since taking office in 2021, he has also publicly honoured Holocaust Remembrance Day every year and backed more funding for survivors. Later, many Jewish New Yorkers, including City Comptroller Brad Lander, supported Mamdani’s campaign.
The “Globalize the intifada” misunderstanding
Some critics have tried to twist Mamdani’s words, claiming he called to “globalize the intifada”— a slogan often misused online. In reality, he never said that. On a podcast, he explained that he views the phrase as a call for equality and human rights, not violence. “As a Muslim man who grew up post-9/11, I know how Arabic words can be twisted,” he said.