Cuomo’s Mosque Campaign Stop Erupts in Heckling as Mamdani, Sliwa Weigh In

By:  Russ Spencer

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now running as an independent candidate for New York City mayor, encountered one of the most volatile moments of his campaign on Friday during a stop at a mosque in Queens. Instead of receiving a warm welcome from Muslim congregants, Cuomo was met with angry shouts of “Shame on you! Shame on you!” — a scene captured by reporters and highlighted in coverage from CBS News.

The event, part of Cuomo’s effort to connect with Muslim voters after sharp criticism from Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, quickly spiraled into a confrontation that underscored the tensions running through this year’s mayoral race.

According to the report that appeared on Saturday on CBS News, Cuomo arrived at the mosque in Jamaica, Queens, intent on making his pitch to an audience of Muslim voters. It was his second mosque visit in as many weeks, following criticism from Mamdani — the first Muslim Democratic nominee for New York City mayor — that Cuomo had largely ignored the city’s mosques on the campaign trail.

But any hopes of a smooth introduction were dashed almost as soon as Cuomo began speaking. Within minutes, several people inside the mosque interrupted, chanting “Shame on you!” repeatedly as the former governor tried to address the room.

“This is a democracy, and we can have a difference of political opinion,” Cuomo said, according to CBS News, trying to maintain composure while visibly frustrated by the disruption. His remarks lasted just six minutes, barely audible at times over the shouts of protest.

The confrontation continued even as Cuomo exited the building, with hecklers following him out and jeering as he left the mosque grounds.

Afterward, Cuomo wasted little time in pointing the finger at his chief rival. Speaking to reporters, he accused Mamdani’s campaign of orchestrating the disruptions to silence his message.

“Mamdani has this tactic of sending disrupters because he doesn’t want people to hear the truth,” Cuomo alleged, in remarks carried by CBS News. “He especially doesn’t want Muslims to hear the truth.”

The “truth,” Cuomo insisted, was that he remained a lifelong Democrat, unlike Mamdani, whom he branded a “socialist.” “I’ve always been a Democrat. Mr. Mamdani is a socialist,” he said, drawing a sharp line between himself and the Democratic nominee. “And there’s a big difference between being a Democrat and being a socialist.”

One heckler’s response, captured by CBS News, was blunt: “You’re not the Democrat nominee.”

Mamdani, speaking later at a campaign event on Manhattan’s West Side, vehemently denied Cuomo’s accusation. His campaign, he said, had nothing to do with the mosque protest.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that he’d been beaten by a Muslim candidate by 13 points in a Democratic primary, he wouldn’t be standing in a mosque,” Mamdani told supporters, according to the report on CBS News.

He added that Muslim New Yorkers had every right to be outraged at Cuomo’s sudden outreach after years of what they perceived as neglect and hostility. “The answer is a record of engaging in Islamophobic rhetoric,” Mamdani said, citing Cuomo’s past comments during the primary campaign. He accused the former governor of portraying him “as someone to be feared, as someone to be understood more in the language of an animal than in the language of a person.”

Mamdani also raised the alarming case of a Texas man who was recently charged with making violent threats against him and his family. “That is what pains me so much,” he said. “It’s not what it means for me, but what it means for Muslims at large.”

Friday’s clash at the mosque highlights the combustible mix of identity politics, faith, and ideology shaping this year’s mayoral contest. With three major candidates — Mamdani, Cuomo, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa — drawing starkly different constituencies, the campaign has become a flashpoint for deeper divisions within the city.

For Cuomo, the mosque visits represent an effort to counter Mamdani’s criticism that he has been absent from Muslim communities. But as the CBS News report noted, the timing and tone of his outreach have left many skeptical, particularly given Mamdani’s historic candidacy as the first Muslim Democrat to win a major-party nomination for mayor.

For Mamdani, the incident illustrates what he sees as Cuomo’s opportunism — an attempt to reach Muslim voters only after being confronted with political necessity. His remarks to supporters suggest that he intends to keep Cuomo on the defensive over past rhetoric while also positioning himself as the authentic voice of Muslim New Yorkers.

Into this escalating clash stepped Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, who urged all sides to tone down the rhetoric. Speaking earlier in the day at Union Square, Sliwa defended the right of citizens to protest but warned that the charged atmosphere was veering toward dangerous extremes.

“I believe that the antidote to free speech is more free speech,” Sliwa told CBS News. “We need to keep free speech alive. What we have to do is stop the violence.”

He expressed concern that threats against candidates, such as those faced by Mamdani, could lead to tighter restrictions on public access to political events. “I don’t want to see a campaign where candidates are barricaded away from the people,” he said.

Friday’s uproar underscores the stakes for each candidate as the campaign enters its final stretch. For Cuomo, the challenge is to shake off the perception that he is out of touch with Muslim voters and to convince New Yorkers that his independent candidacy remains viable despite losing the Democratic primary.

For Mamdani, the test lies in demonstrating that his candidacy is not just historic but resilient in the face of rising hostility, purported Islamophobic rhetoric, and political maneuvering. His pointed rejection of Cuomo’s allegations reflects both confidence in his base and frustration at what he sees as attempts to delegitimize his campaign.

For Sliwa, the mosque incident provides an opportunity to cast himself as a defender of civil discourse, someone willing to stand above partisan clashes and stress the importance of keeping campaigns accessible and safe.

As the CBS News report noted, each candidate faces a unique balancing act: Cuomo must appeal to a broader electorate without alienating key constituencies, Mamdani must harness enthusiasm while defusing hostility, and Sliwa must expand his appeal beyond his Republican base.

The shouting match that engulfed Andrew Cuomo’s campaign stop in a Queens mosque is likely to resonate far beyond Friday’s headlines. It crystallized the central fault lines of the 2025 New York City mayoral race: questions of identity, authenticity, and the right to protest.

For Cuomo, the episode highlighted the challenges of reaching out to Muslim voters after years of criticism and mistrust. For Mamdani, it underscored the risks and opportunities of running as a groundbreaking candidate representing a historically marginalized community. For Sliwa, it was a reminder of the delicate line between free speech and public safety.

As the race heads into its decisive weeks, the confrontation at the mosque — captured in  detail by CBS News — may come to symbolize both the promise and peril of democratic politics in a city where faith, identity, and ideology collide with extraordinary force.