Florida congressman calls Zohran Mamdani “Muslim terrorist” after Netanyahu critique
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US Republican Rep. Randy Fine ignited a firestorm Wednesday by directly calling New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani a “Muslim terrorist” in response to the mayor’s public criticism of ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Fine’s remark came after Mamdani posted that “Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal.”
In a heated on-camera confrontation with TMZ, Fine doubled down: “You are a Muslim terrorist.”
Rep. Randy Fine tells @jacob_wass that Mayor Mamdani is a "Muslim terrorist." pic.twitter.com/wLqL0bc69f
— TMZ (@TMZ) July 22, 2026
He said that Mamdani “has no business being anywhere near the upcoming 25th anniversary 9/11 memorial” and “stands with the terrorists who attacked us more than he stands with the Americans they murdered.”
The congressman has a history of inflammatory rhetoric toward Muslim figures.
Earlier statements included calling Mamdani “little more than a Muslim terrorist” in October 2025 after the mayor’s statement on the October 7 anniversary, advocating for stripping his citizenship and deportation to “the Ugandan s---hole he came from.”
Fine has similarly labeled Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib as “Muslim terrorists.”
Mamdani, born in Uganda to Indian parents and naturalized as a US citizen in 2018, became New York City’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor in January 2026 after a decisive victory as a Democratic socialist.
His administration has prioritized affordability measures like rent freezes, free buses, and universal childcare.
Critics, including Muslim advocacy groups like CAIR, have condemned Fine’s comments as Islamophobic, xenophobic, and racist.
