Viral footage of a Columbia professor’s remarks has reignited criticism of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, focusing on comments by his father that many conservatives say cross a line. A resurfaced clip and related quotes have drawn wide attention online and sparked sharp rebukes from commentators and politicians. The material under review raises questions about how a candidate’s family ties shape public perception and campaign messaging.
A circulated social media post pushed the footage into the spotlight, with the caption “Zohran Mamdani’s father: America is the root of all evil and was the inspiration for the nazis,” and the accompanying clip drew massive views. The snippet was pulled from a longer panel discussion and quickly became a political flashpoint as election day neared. Viewers on multiple platforms reacted strongly, amplifying the debate.
The clip includes a pointed line that was widely shared: “Hitler learned genocide from Abraham Lincoln. I’m sure Zohran loves America though. Nice job NYC.” That sentence, presented without further context in the viral edit, set off a storm of criticism from conservative commentators. The way the statement was packaged online turned it into a hard-hitting talking point for critics.
The remark in question came during a 2022 panel where Mahmood Mamdani discussed colonization and modern state practices, arguing that American history influenced other regimes. He said, “With the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln generalized the solution of reservations, they herded American Indians into separate territories,” and continued, “For the Nazis, this was the inspiration — Hitler realized two things: one, that genocide is doable. It is possible to do genocide, that’s what Hitler realized. Second thing Hitler realized, is that you don’t have to have a common citizenship.” Those lines were excerpted and circulated widely, fueling political attacks.
Conservative voices wasted no time responding to the resurfaced footage, framing it as proof of deeply troubling views close to the candidate. “This is one of the most insane things I’ve ever heard, and I say that as someone who used to work at the Young Turks,” political commentator Dave Rubin
On air, conservative hosts hit the clip hard and linked it directly to the mayoral campaign’s credibility. “Like father like son,” Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham
Republican officials also weighed in, using the clip to question broader themes of national loyalty and political culture. “What a joke — why are we importing people who hate America?” Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis
Campaign spokespeople were contacted for a response, and the controversy prompted renewed scrutiny of how family statements reflect on a candidate. Supporters of Zohran Mamdani argue that children are not responsible for their parents’ views, while critics insist those connections matter deeply in voter assessment. That clash of interpretations now plays out against a charged political backdrop.
Part of the unease stems from other published passages by Mahmood Mamdani, where he examined violent political tactics in academic terms, raising alarms among opponents. He wrote, “Suicide bombing needs to be understood as a feature of modern political violence rather than stigmatized as a mark of barbarism,” and added, “We need to recognize the suicide bomber, first and foremost, as a category of soldier.” Those lines have been cited repeatedly by detractors who say such language normalizes extremism.
Beyond book passages, Mahmood Mamdani is associated with organizations that have taken strong positions on the Israel-Gaza conflict, including advisory roles that advocate boycotts and sanctions. Critics point to the Gaza Tribunal’s practice of accusing Israel of “genocide” and highlight ties between its membership and activist networks. At least one individual linked to the tribunal has previously faced deportation due to alleged terror ties, a fact opponents use to underline their concerns.
Members of the family and the candidate have tried to draw a distinction between parental influence and individual responsibility. “He’s his own person,” Mahmood Mamdani told The New York Times, and he added, “Now, of course, what we do as his parents is part of the environment in which he grew up, and he couldn’t help but engage with it. That doesn’t mean anything is reflected back on us.” In the same conversation, Nair interjected, “I don’t agree!” and went on to say, “Of course the world we live in, and what we write and film and think about, is the world that Zohran has very much absorbed.”
https://x.com/RubinReport/status/1982279643119202669
Mahmood Mamdani has also reflected on his own political formation and the label of radical that has followed him and his son. “I think, honestly, growing up in the family that I grew up in, I was quite open to what would be considered being a radical from a very young age,” he said in an interview, continuing, “I mean, from the beginning, my identities are already considered radical by a lot of mainstream American political thought. So being a Muslim, being an immigrant, these are things that already kind of put you in the box of ‘other.’ And so it’s not that far of a jump because whenever you… stand up to speak up for the rights of others who share the same identity as you, then you’re a radical, right? So often people in this country are considered radicals if they stand up for Palestinian human rights.”
