JD Vance mocks Zohran Mamdani’s remark on his aunt feeling unsafe in hijab after 9/11 attacks

According to Zohran the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks https://t.co/UGeKANSAH2

— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 25, 2025

Mamdani is the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor in the election to replace Mayor Eric Adams.

Speaking outside a Bronx mosque alongside Muslim community leaders, Mamdani said: “I want to speak to the memory of my aunt, who stopped taking the subway after September 11 because she did not feel safe in her hijab.”

He said he had once been advised to hide his Muslim identity when he entered politics: “These are lessons that so many Muslim New Yorkers have been taught.”

Mamdani has been accused by his rivals Republican Curtis Sliwa, Independent Andrew Cuomo and outgoing Mayor Adams of holding radical views. Democrats argue recent attacks have crossed into Islamophobia.

‘I will no longer look for myself in the shadows’

Mamdani said Muslims simply want to be treated like any other New Yorkers: “For too long we have been told to ask for less and to be satisfied with whatever little we receive. No more.”

He added he regretted trying to downplay his faith at the start of his campaign: “No amount of redirection is ever enough.”

He said he now intends to be open about his identity: “I will no longer look for myself in the shadows. I will find myself in the light.”

(With inputs from agencies)