(NEW YORK, NY – October 23, 2025) — CAIR Action, one of the nation’s largest Muslim political organizations, today strongly condemned former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for a series of Islamophobic and racist attacks against New York Assemblymember and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani — beginning with despicable remarks about 9/11 made on a racist radio program and continuing with the release of a racist, AI-generated campaign video depicting “criminals for Zohran Mamdani.”
During an October 23rd appearance on The Sid Rosenberg Show, Cuomo agreed to be interviewed by a host known for a long history of racist and misogynistic comments. Rosenberg has previously referred to tennis star Venus Williams as an “animal,” said her sister Serena Williams could be featured in National Geographic, and called the U.S. women’s soccer team “a bunch of juiced-up dykes.”
In the interview, Rosenberg invoked 9/11 to smear Assemblymember Mamdani, saying: “God forbid, another 9/11 — can you imagine Mamdani in the seat?” to which Rosenberg replied, “He’d be cheering.” Cuomo reportedly paused and chuckled before saying, “That’s another problem.”
CAIR Action Executive Director Basim Elkarra said in response:
“Andrew Cuomo’s comments are despicable, dangerous, and disqualifying. By agreeing with a racist radio host who suggested a Muslim elected official would ‘cheer’ another 9/11, Cuomo has crossed a moral line. This rhetoric is not only deeply Islamophobic — it’s reckless and life-threatening to Muslim, Arab, and South Asian New Yorkers who still live with the trauma of the post-9/11 backlash.”
“Mr. Cuomo’s willingness to engage in this kind of hate speech, on this kind of platform, shows exactly the kind of leader he is: someone who would rather stoke fear than bring people together.”
In addition to the radio appearance, Cuomo’s campaign escalated that bigotry online. His official X account, @andrewcuomo, posted — and then deleted — a two-minute AI-generated attack ad titled “Criminals for Zohran Mamdani.”
The video opened with an AI-generated version of Mamdani running through New York and eating rice with his hands — a degrading stereotype long used to otherize Muslim and immigrant communities. It then depicted a series of racist caricatures: a Black man wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh and shoplifting, a man abusing a woman, a pimp trafficking white women, and others shown as Mamdani supporters.
Elkarra continued:
“Andrew Cuomo’s use of AI to manufacture racist and Islamophobic propaganda shows a stunning disregard for the truth and for basic human decency. Depicting Muslims and Black New Yorkers as criminals and predators is how hate gets normalized. This is not just political desperation — it’s dehumanization.”
CAIR Action called on Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Chuck Schumer, and Mayor Eric Adams to publicly denounce Cuomo’s racist remarks and AI ad and to reaffirm that Islamophobia, anti-Black racism, and xenophobia have no place in New York’s political discourse.
“Silence is complicity,” said Elkarra. “When politicians use AI to spread hate or joke about terrorism in the same breath as a Muslim public servant’s name, every leader in New York must take a stand. Cuomo’s actions aren’t just an embarrassment — they are a danger to our communities.”
CAIR Action urged media outlets, political leaders, and voters to reject the normalization of Islamophobia and racism in campaign tactics, warning that such rhetoric undermines democracy and endangers lives.
“Cuomo’s campaign has shown us what fear looks like in digital form,” Elkarra concluded. “It’s time for New York to show what solidarity looks like in response.”
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CONTACT:
Basim Elkarra, Executive Director, CAIR Action — belkarra@cairaction.org
CAIR Action Communications — media@cairaction.org
