‘Real victim was his aunt’: US VP JD Vance mocks NYC mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani over 9/11 Hijab remarks

JD Vance slams Mamdani over post-9/11 remark

US Vice President JD Vance on Saturday criticized New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani following an emotional speech in which Mamdani reflected on his Muslim identity and his family’s experiences after the September 11 attacks.

JD Vance shared a clip of Mamdani’s speech on X, mocking the candidate’s remarks: “According to Zohran, the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks.”

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

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— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 25, 2025

Speaking outside a Bronx mosque ahead of the city’s mayoral election, Mamdani addressed the discrimination faced by Muslim New Yorkers.

"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 also recounted advice from his uncle to keep his faith private when entering politics.

"These are lessons that so many Muslim New Yorkers have been taught. And over these last few days, these lessons have become the closing messages of Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa and Eric Adams," Mamdani added, criticizing what he described as Islamophobic attacks by his political rivals.

He emphasized his commitment to openly embrace his Muslim faith, saying, "I will not change who I am, how I eat, for the faith that I'm proud to call my own. But there is one thing that I will change. I will no longer look for myself in the shadows. I will find myself in the light."

This comes amid a heated mayoral campaign, where his faith has repeatedly been used as a political flashpoint. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo suggested Mamdani would “be cheering” another 9/11 during a radio interview, while Republican Curtis Sliwa accused him of supporting "global jihad."

Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams also made controversial remarks, warning that New York “can’t be Europe” because of Islamic extremism.

Mamdani defended his position, insisting his remarks were not directed at his opponents but were meant to reflect the broader experiences of marginalized Muslim New Yorkers. "The dream of every Muslim is simply to be treated the same as any other New Yorker. No more asking for less," he said.