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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.
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.
The former governor 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.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
