Actor and comedian Michael Rapaport tore into New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday during a Jewish gathering outside Gracie Mansion, calling him “the most divisive mayor in the history of this city by far” and “a two-bit con man.”
“Zohran the moron is the most divisive mayor in the history of this city by far,” Rapaport said. “He’s a two-bit con man.”
Rapaport also attacked the mayor’s wife directly. “His wife is an antisemite. His wife is a racist,” he said, adding she is “a homophobic” as well.
The gathering came together two days before Yom Kippur. Mamdani had been asked earlier in the week about the planned event and told reporters he would not stand in its way.
“I welcome them. They can have a vigil, or I’ve heard some describe it even as a protest.”
Mamdani said whatever the gathering “is intended to be, they have the room and space to do so outside of Gracie Mansion,” and added, “I think that at the time that they are there I will probably be somewhere else across the city.”
The mayor’s office pointed Fox News Digital to those earlier remarks when asked for comment Friday.
Rabbi Binyamin Krauss, principal of SAR Academy, a Modern Orthodox school in New York City, laid out the purpose of the gathering in a piece for The Times of Israel. He wrote that students from SAR, Ramaz, and other schools would stand on East 88th Street to daven and sing, with a few speaking, before returning to class.
“Here’s what we want students to learn in the three periods this costs: you belong in this city, and when Jews feel unsafe we gather, and we pray, out loud. We express both our vulnerability and our agency at the same time. Showing up is a civic act, one the Constitution protects and one they’ll need for the rest of their lives. Our students love this city and they love Israel, and they don’t see a contradiction.”
Individuals who appeared to be Jewish counter-protesters also showed up near the gathering, holding signs reading “Mayor Mamdani A Friend of Jews While Opposing Israeli Crimes” and “Anti-Zionism Is NOT Anti-Semitism.”
Rapaport said he is “absolutely considering running for mayor” himself, though he said he would back another candidate if that person had “a better chance of winning.” New York City’s next mayoral election is in 2029.
