‘Real Victim Was His Auntie?’ [WATCH]

Vice President J.D. Vance criticized New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Saturday, responding to comments Mamdani made during a campaign event about the impact of the September 11th attacks on his family.

Vance posted on X that, according to the Democrat, “the real victim of 9/11” was his aunt.

The exchange came as early voting began in New York City, where Mamdani, a Democratic frontrunner, faces competition from former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa.

“I want to speak to the memory of my aunt. Who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab,” Mamdani said during a Friday campaign event.

Vance shared a clip of those remarks on X, adding, “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

— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 25, 2025

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Mamdani, who represents Astoria in the New York State Assembly, used the campaign stop to address what he described as discrimination faced by Muslim New Yorkers since the 2001 attacks.

“I want to speak to the Muslim who works for our city, whether they teach in our schools or walk the beat for the NYPD, New Yorkers who all make daily sacrifices for the city they call home, only to see their leaders spit in their face,” Mamdani said.

He continued, “I want to speak to every child who grows up here marked as the other, who is randomly selected in a way that never quite feels random, who feels that they carry a stain that can never be cleaned. Growing up in the shadow of 9/11, I have known what it means to live with an undercurrent of suspicion in this city.”

Mamdani’s comments followed a separate controversy earlier in the week involving Andrew Cuomo.

The former governor appeared on WABC’s “Sid & Friends in the Morning” on Thursday, where he questioned Mamdani’s capacity to lead New York City during an emergency.

“Any given moment, there’s a crisis, and people’s lives are at stake. God forbid, there’s another 9/11. Can you imagine Mamdani in the seat?” Cuomo said.

Host Sid Rosenberg responded, “He’d be cheering.”

Cuomo replied, “That’s another problem,” before reiterating, “But could you imagine that?”

The exchange prompted Mamdani to accuse Cuomo of engaging in “Islamophobic rhetoric.”

During a campaign event later that day in Manhattan, Mamdani addressed reporters who asked about the remarks.

“Yes, I believe that they were,” he said.

“We’re speaking about a former governor who, in his final moments in public life, is engaging in rhetoric that is not only Islamophobic, not only racist, it’s also disgusting.”

🚨NEW: @ZohranKMamdani reacts to comments made by @andrewcuomo this morning on @sidrosenberg show:

“This is disgusting,” says Mamdani.

“This is Andrew Cuomo’a final moments in public life and he’s choosing to spend them making racist attacks.” @PIX11News pic.twitter.com/azINKIrqGm

— Dan Mannarino (@DanMannarino) October 23, 2025

Mamdani, a progressive Democrat and self-described democratic socialist, has faced scrutiny from both his opponents and national political figures for his past comments about policing, Israel, and 9/11.

Vance’s post drew attention to how national leaders are increasingly weighing in on the city’s race, signaling the broader political implications of Mamdani’s candidacy.

The election is set for November, with early voting underway across New York City’s five boroughs.