Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Democratic socialist, has won New York City's Democratic mayoral primary, defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo on June 24, 2025. If elected, Mamdani would become the city's first Indian-American and Muslim mayor.

His victory has triggered significant backlash from far-right figures and social media users, marked by Islamophobic attacks. U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene posted a digitally altered image of the Statue of Liberty covered in a black burqa on June 25, 2025. Another MAGA supporter, Don Keith, shared the same image with the caption, "Congratulations New York."

U.S. Representative Nancy Mace also shared a photo of Mamdani in traditional attire, adding, "After 9/11 we said 'Never Forget.' I think we sadly have forgotten." Online comments included incendiary remarks predicting the imposition of Sharia Law in New York City.

Donald Trump responded to Mamdani's win on Truth Social on June 26, 2025, calling him a "100% Communist Lunatic" and making personal attacks. Mamdani countered at a debate, stating, "I am Donald Trump's worst nightmare, as a progressive, Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things I believe in."

Mamdani has been outspoken against Donald Trump's immigration policies and billionaire donors. He has also criticized Israel's actions in Gaza, terming them "genocide," while affirming he is not antisemitic.

Notably, the Statue of Liberty's original designs were inspired by sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi's sketches of veiled Egyptian women, initially envisioned as a Muslim woman. This historical detail stands in contrast to the current use of the statue in Islamophobic imagery.