Congressman Randy Fine Calls Zohran Mamdani a “Muslim Terrorist” Amid Outrage Over His October 7 Statement

By: Andrew Carlson

The political storm surrounding New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani intensified sharply this week after Republican Congressman Randy Fine delivered an explosive rebuke, calling Mamdani “nothing more than a Muslim terrorist” and demanding that his U.S. citizenship be revoked. A VIN News report that appeared on Wednesday described the candidate’s remarks as “among the most incendiary exchanges yet in an already volatile election season,” which came after Mamdani published a controversial social media post on the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas massacre.

In his statement, Mamdani condemned Hamas for what he called “a horrific war crime,” but quickly shifted his focus toward Israel’s government and the United States, accusing them of perpetrating what he described as a “murderous war” in Gaza and enabling civilian suffering through military aid and political backing.

According to the report at VIN News, the post ignited a firestorm across social media platforms, unleashing both condemnation and defense of the candidate—an emblematic reflection of how the Israel-Hamas conflict continues to fracture political discourse in the United States.

Congressman Fine, a Republican lawmaker from Florida known for his outspoken support of Israel, responded within hours of Mamdani’s post with a statement on X (formerly Twitter) that left little room for ambiguity.

“This is nauseating,” Fine wrote. “Mamdani is nothing more than a Muslim terrorist. It’s a disgrace that he was ever granted citizenship. It should be stripped, and he should be deported to the Ugandan shithole he came from.”

The comment—reported by VIN News and quickly amplified by national media—drew immediate attention for its blunt language and calls for deportation. Fine, who is Jewish and one of the most vocal pro-Israel advocates in Congress, later doubled down on his statement, saying he stood by “every word.”

“What Zohran Mamdani did was not a misstatement or a misunderstanding—it was an expression of anti-Israel hatred and moral inversion,” Fine told reporters. “To use the memory of the October 7 victims as a platform to vilify Israel is beyond repugnant.”

The VIN News report noted that while Fine’s comments received applause from some conservative commentators and pro-Israel advocacy groups, they also drew sharp criticism from civil rights organizations and progressive activists, who accused the congressman of engaging in Islamophobic rhetoric.

The controversy began when Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist and self-described progressive, issued a statement to commemorate the two-year anniversary of Hamas’s assault on southern Israel—an attack that killed 1,200 people and saw over 250 taken hostage.

“Hamas committed a horrific war crime,” Mamdani wrote. “But the response by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government—a murderous war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians—is itself a war crime. The U.S. government has been complicit every step of the way.”

As VIN News reported, Mamdani’s framing of the conflict drew immediate outrage, particularly from Jewish organizations and political figures who accused him of drawing false moral equivalencies between a terrorist massacre and Israel’s defensive war.

One social media user quoted in the VIN News report wrote, “Wow. I can’t believe he had the nerve to use this anniversary to blame the victim. This is disgraceful.”

Another user posted an image of Mamdani’s district map in Queens with the caption, “I used to live in New York. What the hell is this?”

The backlash escalated into a broader debate over free speech, antisemitism, and the boundaries of political critique. Several users pointed to Mamdani’s immigration history, questioning how he attained U.S. citizenship and alleging irregularities in his naturalization process.

“How did Zohran become a U.S. citizen in 2018, Congressman?” one user asked Fine on X. “He held a green card for more than seven years before applying. Isn’t that a federal offense?”

While there is no evidence of wrongdoing in Mamdani’s immigration record, the report at VIN News noted that the allegations reflect growing scrutiny over his background and political worldview.

Born in Uganda, Mamdani immigrated to New York at the age of seven with his family and later became a U.S. citizen in 2018. His father, filmmaker Mahmood Mamdani, is a well-known academic and author, while his mother, Mira Nair, is a renowned director whose films have explored themes of postcolonial identity and cultural hybridity.

Mamdani, who represents Queens in the New York State Assembly and is now seeking the mayoralty, has positioned himself as a champion of working-class New Yorkers, calling for rent freezes, free public transit, and universal early childhood education. His campaign biography describes him as “a proud Democratic Socialist fighting for a city that works for everyone.”

But as the VIN News report observed, Mamdani’s outspoken criticism of Israel and his association with far-left organizations have increasingly placed him at odds with New York’s large Jewish community—a demographic that wields significant political influence.

Following Fine’s remarks, Mamdani did not respond publicly, but his supporters accused the congressman of racism and “weaponized bigotry.” Progressive advocacy group Justice Democrats posted on X, “Calling a sitting lawmaker a ‘Muslim terrorist’ is hate speech. Period. This kind of rhetoric endangers lives.”

Still, even within New York’s Democratic establishment, many have distanced themselves from Mamdani’s comments about Israel. A senior party strategist told VIN News, “You can condemn Netanyahu without calling Israel genocidal. What Mamdani said was reckless—it inflames tensions and alienates voters he needs.”

The anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks has reignited fierce debate across the United States, with renewed demonstrations on college campuses, polarized congressional hearings, and public clashes between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian activists.

VIN News reported that Jewish leaders in New York marked the day with vigils, memorials, and renewed calls for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages still believed to be held in Gaza. Against that backdrop, Mamdani’s post stood out not only for its language but for its timing.

“Choosing the anniversary of Hamas’s massacre to lecture Israelis about their morality shows either profound ignorance or deliberate provocation,” one rabbi told VIN News. “This isn’t about free speech—it’s about basic decency.”

Mamdani’s statement also rekindled concerns within law enforcement about the potential for unrest. The NYPD Intelligence Division has increased patrols around synagogues and Israeli consulates in recent days, citing heightened online hostility.

Civil rights groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), also weighed in, calling Fine’s comments “an open act of anti-Muslim hate speech that must be condemned.”

In response, Fine released a follow-up post refusing to apologize. “I stand by what I said,” he wrote. “This country doesn’t need politicians who celebrate terrorists and smear our allies.”

As the VIN News report highlighted, the controversy arrives at a critical juncture in New York’s mayoral race, already defined by culture clashes over antisemitism, policing, and immigration.

Mamdani’s campaign—once buoyed by a strong coalition of young progressives—has been thrown off balance, while Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and independent Andrew Cuomo have both used the uproar to reinforce their pro-Israel credentials.

“The city deserves leadership that stands unequivocally with Israel against terror,” Sliwa said in a statement reported by VIN News. “We can’t afford moral relativism from someone who wants to be mayor of the greatest Jewish city outside Israel.”

As the furor continues, observers say the Mamdani-Fine clash has transcended a mere political spat—it has become a defining flashpoint in the larger American reckoning over antisemitism, Islamophobia, and the limits of free speech.

In the words of VIN News, “The outrage over Zohran Mamdani’s post and Congressman Fine’s reaction captures the moral fury of a country still struggling to find language for one of the bloodiest and most divisive moments in modern Jewish history.”

And with Election Day drawing near, that fury is unlikely to fade anytime soon.