Kirsten Gillibrand Apologizes To Zohran Mamdani Over Anti-Muslim Comments

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Huff Post

Jul 1, 2025, 07:48 PM EDT


Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) apologized to New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani on Monday after facing swift backlash for Islamophobic comments she recently made in a radio interview about her fellow New York Democrat. The senator spoke over the phone with the state assemblymember and “apologized for mischaracterizing Mamdani’s record and for her tone in the interview,” according to a readout of the conversation that Gillibrand’s office first provided to Politico on Tuesday.

Last Thursday, Gillibrand appeared on WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show” and responded to a caller’s unfounded claims that Mamdani, who is Muslim, is a threat to Jewish safety. The senator went on an angry tirade and, despite Lehrer’s repeated fact-checks, falsely accused Mamdani of using and supporting the phrases “global jihad” and “globalize the intifada.”

Mamdani has repeatedly said that he personally does not use those terms, but that he will not outright condemn them because he does not want to use his position as mayor to suppress speech. Instead, he stressed his plans to protect all New Yorkers — including the Jewish community — by investing in programs that combat hate crimes.

Both “jihad” and “intifada” are Arabic terms that, over time, have come to be misunderstood in the West as synonymous with religious violence. The word “intifada” is most commonly used to describe decades-old Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation. While “globalize the intifada” is often used in solidarity with Palestinians, some perceive it to suggest violence against the Jewish community.

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kirsten-gillibrand-apologizes-zohran-mamdani-comments_n_6864615ee4b0a75414b04286?ncid=NEWSSTAND0001

[questionseverything]

1. She is such a hypocrite

Is a shitty apology enough when she has shown what a bigot she is? This is much more serious than a comedy skit

[Oopsie Daisy]

2. Now apologize to Al Franken.

[dem4decades]

7. Al should call for her resignation .

[Gimble]

12. Indeed she should (nt)

[Bengus81]

14. Beat me to it!............

[chelsea0011]

3. How about just forcing her out of Senate

Being a bigot is a far greater crime than inappropriate clown behavior.

[Grokenstein]

4. An insincere "sorry (this backfired on me)" non-apology means nothing.

[BeyondGeography]

5. Even though she displayed a shocking lack of discipline for someone who is the DSCC 2026 Chair

there will be no professional repercussions.

Who said party leadership isn’t in good hands?

[Javaman]

6. she's been on my shit list since Frankin.

she can fuck all the way off. racism and bigotry is never a good tactic. then to then say you made a mistake after saying all that horrible shit? fuck off.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

8. Some apology that is.

[Scrivener7]

9. I will vote for any primary challenger to both my Senators.

[purr-rat beauty]

10. She is complicit...

...if any political violence comes to him

[Paladin]

11. Lousy apology attempt---but still more than I expected from her.

Her phone and online accounts must have been on fire for her to issue even this much of a statement of regret. Low-rent political hack.

[Marthe48]

13. Even if she apologized

the comments are out there forever. For voters who are paying attention, who's to say how her comments will affect elections coming up?

Why do Dems eat their own so much better than r's?

[Erda]

15. Follow

The Money!

[3Hotdogs]

16. What I don't get - someone alerted on one of the posts in this thread.

What I don't get about the jury system - a Dem. politician can be an almost complete shit-hook but it would be wrong to say anything about it.

That the post remains, means others agree with me.


Now watch this post disappear -- 5, 4, ...

[Quanto Magnus]

17. Gillibrand needs to retire

She is a horrible person and keeps proving the point with her statements.

[yardwork]

18. Good. Let's move on and support one another.