Cuomo Thinks Now Is the Time for a 9/11 Joke About Zohran Mamdani
Andrew Cuomo’s campaign for mayor of New York is not going well. In the polls, he has always trails the frontrunner and Democratic candidate, New York Congressman Zohran Mamdani. And on Wednesday evening, he was the target of lightning attacks during the final debate of the mayor’s race.
How did Cuomo react the next morning? By making an offensive and bigoted 9/11 joke about Mamdani, a Muslim.
Former New York governor appeared on WABC radio show »Sid and his friends in the morning“, and asked host Sid Rosenberg, “God forbid, another 9/11, can you imagine Mamdani in the seat?”
“He would applaud,” Rosenberg responded, to which Cuomo responded, “That’s another issue.”
It’s one thing to claim that Mamdani doesn’t have the experience to handle a major crisis like a terrorist attack. It’s another to insinuate that the Democratic candidate would applaud a horrific tragedy in the city he would lead, with a nod to Islamophobia in the process. And the radio show isn’t even the first example of Cuomo engaging in bigotry against Mamdani.
On Wednesday, just before the debate, the Cuomo campaign quickly posted and deleted a AI-generated video showing “criminals” supporting Mamdani’s campaign, including a drunk driver, a domestic abuser and a black man wearing a keffiyeh shoplifting.
Andrew Cuomo’s campaign just released – and quickly deleted – this AI-generated ad depicting “criminals for Zohran Mamdani.”
Features a black man in a keffiyeh shoplift, a mugger, an intruder, a dealer, a drug dealer, and a drunk driver all declaring their support for Mamdani. pic.twitter.com/kDR4UaMAvk–Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) October 23, 2025
It’s clear that Cuomo’s campaign is becoming desperate in the final weeks of the mayoral race. Mamdani has managed to rally support from the city’s diverse communities, and Cuomo’s little joke could set him back even further in his attempt to garner support for his flagging campaign.
Listen to Cuomo’s interview with Rosenberg on WABC radio website (the “joke” is at 21 minutes).
