Stefanik Critiques Hochul’s Support for Mamdani

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has taken issue with Governor Kathy Hochul’s backing of Zoran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist Party’s mayoral candidate. This comes after Mamdani’s connection to an imam accused of terrorism has led to significant backlash.

On Monday, Republican lawmakers expressed their concerns in a passionate social media post, labeling Mamdani a “jihadist” due to his association with Siraj Wahhaj, who is seen as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

“Kathy Hochul has given her full and desperate support to a jihadist running for mayor,” Stefanik remarked, while gearing up for her own gubernatorial race against Hochul next year.

Stefanik also shared what she considers troubling remarks made by Wahhaj, whose previous comments about America being “filthy” and “sick” resurfaced following Mamdani’s meeting with him over the weekend. “This person @KathyHochul is the one who supports and praises Mamdani’s campaign,” she added in her post.

A now-viral video from 1995 features Wahhaj declaring, “Do you know what this country is? This is a trash can,” which certainly raised eyebrows.

The newspaper reached out to Hochul’s office regarding Stefanik’s remarks, but there was no immediate reply.

Hochul officially endorsed Mamdani last month, despite recent controversies. Interestingly, she had referenced socialists as “very rational” not long before, suggesting that their aspirations might be achieved without increasing taxes.

The recent scrutiny of Mamdani escalated after his meeting with Wahhaj garnered attention. Wahhaj was linked to the bombing, as several individuals involved were part of his mosque, though he was never charged and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Nevertheless, he defended the attackers by labeling federal agencies like the FBI and CIA as “real terrorists.” This whole situation seems pretty tangled, doesn’t it?