‘Enemy inside the gates’: Republican Senator’s ‘hate post’ on Mamdani ignites political outrage

Tommy Tuberville’s post targeting Zohran Mamdani has triggered political outrage, with Democratic leaders and Muslim groups condemning the senator’s remarks as Islamophobic.

Written by FE Global Desk

March 13, 2026 23:24 IST

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Mamdani condemned the latest comments, describing them as an example of rising anti-Muslim rhetoric in American politics. (AP/Reuters)

A social media post by Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville targeting Zohran Mamdani has triggered sharp political backlash. Democratic leaders and Muslim advocacy groups have condemned the remarks as Islamophobic.

Tuberville, who is also running for governor of Alabama, shared a post on X on Thursday featuring two images — one from the September 11 attacks and another of Mamdani. The caption on the post read, “The enemy is inside the gates.”

The Alabama senator has repeatedly targeted Mamdani, who became New York City’s first Muslim mayor. In December, Tuberville posted the same phrase alongside a news article about Mamdani using the Quran during his swearing-in ceremony. Tuberville has also claimed on social media that Islam “is not a religion, it’s a cult” and has previously called for the mass expulsion of Muslims from the United States. His statements have drawn criticism from Muslim activists and civil rights organisations, though Senate Republican leaders have largely avoided publicly rebuking him.

Mamdani responds

Mamdani condemned the latest comments, describing them as an example of rising anti-Muslim rhetoric in American politics. Speaking at an iftar gathering during Ramadan on Thursday evening, the mayor said many Muslim-Americans experience prejudice and exclusion.

“When I hear such hatred and disdain unchecked in its rancour, I feel a loneliness and isolation that I know many of you have felt as well,” Mamdani told attendees. “Who here has been told you do not belong in New York City? Who here has been told to go back where you came from?” he said.

Democrats condemn Tuberville’s remarks

Tuberville also claimed in a separate post that Americans are being “gunned down in the streets almost daily by Radical Islamists”, an assertion disputed by experts. A 2025 study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies found that attacks in the United States by Muslim extremists remain rare and show no signs of resurgence.

Several Democratic lawmakers quickly condemned Tuberville’s remarks. Chuck Schumer described the senator’s comments as “mindless hate”, adding that Muslim-Americans contribute across all sectors of society. Independent senator Bernie Sanders called the post “blatant Islamophobic racism”.

This article was first uploaded on March thirteen, twenty twenty-six, at twenty-four minutes past eleven in the night.