How Mamdani’s politics and identity are new elements to a familiar story
How Mamdani’s politics and identity are new elements to a familiar story
Gloria Pazmino, Katherine Koretski, CNNWed, March 11, 2026 at 1:35 AM UTC
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch walk out of Gracie Mansion before speaking to reporters on Monday. - Ryan Murphy/Getty Images
Three days after an attempted ISIS-inspired terror attack outside his home, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood in a pre-school classroom on Staten Island to announce expanded childcare highlighting one of the key pillars of his agenda.
But Mamdani was peppered with questions about Saturday’s attack, which unfolded as counterprotesters clashed with a group of demonstrators who gathered in front of Gracie Mansion to attend a protest “against Islam.”
Mamdani, who made history as the city’s first Muslim to be elected mayor, has previously spoken out against Islamophobia and the threats he faces as one of the highest profile Muslims in the country.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani arrives at a subway station in Queens. - Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP
“The thing that affects me more is not language that people use to describe me, but that it’s language that they use to describe so many who call this city home,” Mamdani said Tuesday when asked about the anti-Islamic demonstration. “In that protest, there is a vision of a city that does not leave room for more than a million Muslims who call this city their home, and it is a vision that I abhor.”
Every mayor of New York City since September 11, 2001, has had to deal with terrorist attacks in the city. But the response by Mamdani – whose mayoral campaign was dominated by acrimonious discourse over his support of Palestinian rights, his Muslim faith and his criticism of the Israeli government – was closely watched by critics who suggested the mayor had failed to quickly and forcefully speak out against the attacks.
Mamdani’s first public comments on the incident came Sunday afternoon, after the NYPD announced that the devices recovered from the scene Saturday were intended to cause harm.
The mayor was briefed by senior staff after the clashes began and he was in close communication with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Saturday and Sunday. Aides to the mayor said he was focused on the city’s safety given the heightened threat environment and stressed he did not want to jeopardize the investigation or speculate before law enforcement had definitive details about the suspects.
Still, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran against Mamdani in the 2025 mayoral race, suggested the mayor’s response was insufficient. Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican from Florida, accused Mamdani of “defending and protecting Muslim terrorists” in a social media post. GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina piled on, writing on social media, “New York deserves better.”
Despite the criticism, Mamdani said the weekend’s unrest was disconnected from the city’s core values and experiences of average every day New Yorkers.
“I think we do need a city that has respect for every single New Yorker, and that’s the city that I grew up in, that’s the city that I love,” Mamdani said. “I also think that oftentimes when we see these kinds of displays, they are not coming from New Yorkers. The protests that we’re speaking about, we’re talking about people who come from out of state with a vision of a city that does not match up to the one that we love and that we live in.”
A ‘heinous act of terrorism’
Jake Lang, described by law enforcement as a right-wing influencer and “provocateur,” encouraged supporters to join Saturday’s demonstration to “stop the Islamic takeover of New York City.”
Mamdani had been aware of the protest and its potential for chaos. He mentioned the event to senior staff as early as Friday, telling his team they should track the demonstration and be ready to deal with the potential fallout, according to two people close to the mayor who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Indeed, chaos ensued, as a group of counterprotesters that dwarfed Lang’s group clashed with the anti-Muslim demonstrators. Then, police say, two terror suspects threw IEDs into the crowd. They failed to detonate but could have seriously injured and killed people had they gone off, police said.
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When speaking to investigators, both suspects cited ISIS, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court Monday.
After the suspects were charged Monday, Mamdani released a statement condemning the attacks as a “heinous act of terrorism,” adding the two men should be held “fully accountable for their actions.”
Emir Balat, a high school senior from Pennsylvania, is arrested outside Gracie Mansion on Saturday. - Madison Swart/Reuters‘I’m proud to be a Muslim New Yorker’
Mamdani’s strength in the mayoral campaign was built, in part, on his talent as a communicator: He crafted buzzy, viral videos that helped him stand out in a crowded field, and in turn created a blueprint emulated by other Democrats.
Mamdani’s response since Saturday, however, reflects the same cautious messaging he has previously employed when addressing Israel’s war in Gaza, protests in New York, and the recent US and Israeli strikes in Iran – positions and statements that have drawn criticism in the past.
When pro-Hamas protestors gathered outside two synagogues in Queens and in Manhattan, Mamdani was slow to condemn the event, causing consternation among Jewish leaders and supporters.
As mayor of a city of eight million people, Mamdani often walks a fine line – balancing the politics of his base with the city’s broader concerns, including ensuring New Yorkers’ safety, while navigating issues tied to his political and personal identity.
Security experts recognize that balancing act, saying political leaders face intense pressure to respond carefully and forcefully when it comes to terrorism.
“Of course, they’re going to take political considerations into account,” said William Braniff, Executive Director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab at American University.
“But all elected leaders in a democratic society should use caution until all facts are understood, clearly condemn violence no matter the motivation, not amplify the perpetrators, and focus on the values you are trying to inculcate through your leadership.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a news conference outside Gracie Mansion on Monday. - CNN
Still, Mamdani signaled his continued commitment to the political ideology that helped shape his meteoric rise. Less than 36 hours after this weekend’s events, he posted a photo to social media showing he hosted Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil for an Iftar dinner at the mayoral residence – setting off a new round of criticism from his detractors.
Mamdani, who has attended multiple Iftar dinners – the evening meal Muslims share to break their daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan – has shared images of those gatherings on social media. On Tuesday, he also shared a message for the city’s Muslim community.
“You need not feel as if your identity is somehow in tension with being a New Yorker,” Mamdani said at Tuesday’s event on Staten Island. “I’m proud to be a Muslim New Yorker, and I know that’s the case for a million or so people who call this city home.”
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