That Zohran Mamdani ‘9/11 Aunt’ Story Is Already Falling Apart, Despite the Blind Media SupportBy Brad Slager | October 27, 2025
There was a fair dose of offensive outrage this weekend, following some comments made by the darling in the New York Mayoral race, Zohran Mamdani. The Democratic Socialist, who has no trouble whatsoever delivering disqualifying comments, was at it once again, and once again, the seal-clapping members of the press were abdicating their job duties.
On Friday, Mamdani was giving a press conference, and in one portion, he had to stop and pause, as he was visibly shaken and broken up recounting a family history. Zohran detailed that after the events of 9/11, his aunt had to stop taking the subway, because she wears a hijab and would be on the receiving end of caustic looks, or worse, it is alleged. So we are to harbor sympathy, not for the thousands who were eradicated that fateful day and the scores of family members affected by the loss, but for the claim that Mamdani’s aunt felt uncomfortable on her commute.
In its coverage of Mamdani’s Friday presser, the New York Times was dutiful and slobbering on behalf of Mamdani. Reporter Emma Fitzsimmons delivered many of the expected tropes from the paper. We literally get “Republicans pounced on his comments” without irony. JD Vance made a post that put this daft weeping comment in perspective, and Fitzsimmons describes this as an “attack.” Mamdani was then permitted to go on at length to state how this response was Islamophobic.
“This is all the Republican Party has to offer,” Mr. Mamdani said. “Cheap jokes about Islamophobia so as to not have to recognize what people are living through, attempts to pit peoples’ humanity against each other.”
Some have speculated that the purpose of this Mamdani press conference, and his sympathetic tale of an oppressive relative, was the result of his being tied to an Imam who had suspected ties to the 9/11 attacks. The Times gave this a brush-off, saying the individual who appeared on a potential co-conspirator list was never charged, and that this list was dubious in nature. So — no further investigation is needed. Then Fitzsimmons saw fit to compare Mamdani’s speech to something heard from Barack Obama.
The approach by the Times was seen across the news sphere, as numerous outlets repeated Mamdani’s tearful exchange, unquestionably. But in all of the heartfelt coverage, something was missing: curiosity. Notably, few in the press saw a need to explore the veracity of Mamdani’s tale of emotional woe. As has become commonplace these days, that effort was left to the citizen journalists.
Some online became curious about Mamdani’s aunt and her status, so a probe into the matter took place. Some found he has three aunts, but only one of them would be considered Muslim and would have suffered this hijab bigotry. In his aunt’s biographies online, she is not seen wearing the head covering. But more than this, her professional career shows she was a resident in Tanzania in the years before and after the attacks.
Now, some might be tempted to say she could have conceivably been traveling in New York and experienced this aggressive atmosphere during her visit. But Mamdani’s description is one of an experience by a resident. He says she “stopped” taking the subway after 9/11, implying this was a common practice by his relative that she had to suspend. Still, there is enough plausible deniability to suggest this could have been the case.
And yet, we see one other disqualifying aspect of this aunt. Dr. Naomi Wolfe pulled up the professional background of this aunt, Masuma Mamdani, and found that in her field of study, she engages in efforts that are distinctly in opposition to the Muslim faith.
These are all details that should have sparked questions and inspired at least a glimmer of investigation from a journalist. These could have been found by any minimally inquisitive reporter who would have been able to glean the facts and offer up as shading and background to any reports.
Instead, we only got blind allegiance to Zohran Mamdani’s claims and the repetition of his weepy fable. The framing echoes that seen from Fitzsimmons in The Times, describing how “he grew emotional,” and then Republicans managed to “attack” him over this gripping account.
The press is in full-scale support mode for this candidate, and objectivity is simply not a component in this election.
https://redstate.com/bradslager/2025/10/27/that-zohran-mamdani-911-aunt-story-is-already-falling-apart-despite-the-blind-media-support-n2195525
