US Politics

Cuomo rips Mamdani’s victim narrative, says Dem socialist is ‘offender’ against 9/11 families, Jews and more

By Eric October 25, 2025

In a fiery exchange ahead of the New York City mayoral election, former Governor Andrew Cuomo launched a scathing attack on Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, accusing him of playing the victim card due to his Muslim identity while simultaneously offending various communities across the city. Speaking at an event where he garnered support from multiple faith leaders, Cuomo described Mamdani as “the offender,” claiming that his campaign has been characterized by divisive rhetoric that has alienated Jews, Blacks, Italians, members of the LGBTQ community, and even some Muslims. Cuomo’s comments come at a critical juncture in the race, as New Yorkers began voting on Saturday, with the election set to conclude on November 4.

Cuomo’s criticisms were particularly pointed towards Mamdani’s perceived insensitivity towards the Jewish community. He recounted a conversation with a Jewish New Yorker who expressed fear about displaying their Star of David, highlighting the current climate of anxiety among Jewish residents. This concern was compounded by Mamdani’s controversial refusal to denounce the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which many interpret as inciting violence against Jews. Additionally, Cuomo condemned Mamdani’s stance on issues like the decriminalization of prostitution, arguing that it contradicts Islamic teachings and harms the Sunni Muslim community. The former governor also took aim at Mamdani’s associations, including a photo with a Ugandan official known for supporting anti-LGBTQ legislation and ties to controversial figures like Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who has made inflammatory remarks regarding 9/11.

In response, Mamdani accused Cuomo of resorting to “Islamophobic rhetoric” and claimed that the former governor’s attacks reflect a broader culture of hatred that many New Yorkers face daily. The contentious back-and-forth continued during their final debate, where Mamdani focused on Cuomo’s past controversies, including the sexual harassment claims that led to his resignation, while Cuomo criticized Mamdani’s lack of political experience and his previous statements against law enforcement. As the election draws near, the stakes are high for all candidates, with the potential for significant shifts in New York City’s leadership and policy direction hanging in the balance.

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Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo slammed Democratic socialist mayoral candidate
Zohran Mamdani
for painting himself as a victim because he is a Muslim, saying the rival mayoral candidate has spent his campaign offending 9/11 families, Jews and various other groups of New Yorkers.
“He claims that he is the victim of attacks because he is a Muslim. Nothing could be further from the truth. He is not a victim, he is the offender,” Cuomo said on Saturday. “This entire campaign, he has been dividing and attacking and offending different New York groups.”
While speaking at an event in which he received the endorsements of several faith leaders,
Cuomo lambasted Mamdani
, who he called his “main opponent.” Cuomo listed a number of groups who he says have been hurt by Mamdani, including Jews, Blacks, Italians, members of the LGBTQ community — and even some Muslims.
SPARKS FLY AS CUOMO, MAMDANI TEAR INTO EACH OTHER DURING FIERY DEBATE: ‘TOXIC ENERGY’
Cuomo first addressed the Jewish community, saying that Mamdani had hurt them “in a truly painful way.” The former governor recounted a recent interaction with a Jewish New Yorker who said he was afraid of wearing a Star of David in the city. In 2023, the UJA-Federation of New York said in
a report
that there were just over 1.3 million Jews living in New York City.
He then took issue with Mamdani’s refusal to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which many see as a call for violence against Jewish people. Mamdani has faced criticism for his refusal to condemn the phrase early in the mayoral race.
The former governor
also said his opponent, who could become New York City’s first Muslim mayor, hurt the Sunni Muslim community by advocating for the decriminalization of prostitution. Cuomo added that according to the Quran, prostitution is
haram
, which means “forbidden” in Arabic.
After condemning Mamdani’s gesture toward the Columbus statue and invoking its offense to Italian-Americans, Cuomo broadened his criticism. He pointed to a photo of Mamdani with a Ugandan official who backs harsh anti-gay laws, framing it as an affront to the LGBTQ community.
MAMDANI ACCUSES CUOMO OF ‘ISLAMOPHOBIC RHETORIC’ AS CONTENTIOUS NYC MAYORAL RACE COMES DOWN TO THE WIRE
He didn’t stop there — Mamdani’s friendship with
controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker
, who once said “America deserved 9/11,” also drew scrutiny from the former governor.
“You offend 9/11 families. You offend every New Yorker because 9/11 was an attack on all New Yorkers, and it traumatized all New Yorkers. So, no, he’s not the victim. He is the offender, and he has done a great deal of damage,” Cuomo said.
On Friday, Mamdani accused Cuomo of using “Islamophobic rhetoric” after the former governor joined a radio show where the host said Mamdani would be “cheering” if New York City faced another 9/11-style attack.
“While my opponents in this race have brought hatred to the forefront, this is just a glimpse of what so many have to endure every day across the city,” Mamdani said. “And while it would be easy for us to say that this is not who we are as a city, we know the truth. This is who we have allowed ourselves to become.”
Cuomo and Mamdani also took several jabs at each other on Wednesday night during the final debate of the
NYC mayoral race
. Mamdani focused on Cuomo’s past scandals, such as the sexual harassment allegations that led to his abrupt exit from office. Cuomo, on the other hand, blasted self-proclaimed socialist Mamdani over his lack of experience and past anti-law enforcement statements.
New Yorkers began casting their ballots Saturday and have until Nov. 4 at 9:00 p.m. to decide which of the three candidates — Cuomo, Mamdani or Republican Curtis Sliwa — will be the next to lead America’s most populous city.
Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.