Mamdani Falsely Linked to Islamic State Following Historic NYC Election Win

Right-wing influencers in the United States have circulated fabricated claims connecting New York’s newly elected mayor Zohran Mamdani to the Islamic State group, according to researchers who identified the misinformation campaign on Thursday.

Mamdani, who made history this week as the first Muslim and South Asian elected to lead New York City, faced a barrage of false accusations despite his decisive victory. The mayor-elect has become the latest target in a pattern of misinformation aimed at Muslim American politicians.

Multiple accounts on X, formerly Twitter, shared a doctored statement allegedly from the Islamic State titled “Operation Manhattan Project.” The fabricated communiqué suggested the extremist group was planning an attack in New York City on Election Day in response to “American aggression.” The false posts collectively amassed millions of views across the platform.

Laura Loomer, a conservative influencer with direct access to former President Donald Trump, was among those who amplified the false narrative. “The Muslims can’t think of a better way for the Muslims to celebrate the victory of a Muslim mayoral candidate today than by committing an ISIS attack in NYC,” Loomer wrote in a post that garnered more than 200,000 views.

Other conservative accounts went further, falsely claiming the extremist group had endorsed Mamdani for mayor.

Disinformation experts quickly debunked the alleged Islamic State statement. NewsGuard, a prominent disinformation watchdog, confirmed the document was fabricated. Meili Criezis, an academic at American University who specializes in extremist communications, noted that the purported statement did not match the established patterns of authentic Islamic State messaging.

“Amaq is used [by the Islamic State] to share news and claim responsibility for attacks,” Criezis explained to NewsGuard. “It doesn’t make threats like what is stated in the screenshot.”

The Information Epidemiology Lab, another research organization, also determined the circulated statement “sharply” diverged from established Islamic State “media practices in language, style, formatting, and distribution.” Researchers traced the fabricated message to its apparent origin on 4chan, a far-right message board notorious for spreading conspiracy theories.

Mamdani, 34, won the mayoral race on a platform focused on addressing New York’s affordability crisis. As a state lawmaker, he has been a consistent supporter of Palestinian rights while also denouncing antisemitism. He has spoken openly about experiencing Islamophobia following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

This latest incident fits into a broader pattern of misinformation targeting Mamdani throughout his campaign. Fact-checkers from AFP previously debunked several false claims, including allegations that a non-citizen illegally voted for him and that one of his campaign staffers posed beside Nazi graffiti.

The spread of such misinformation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Muslim politicians in American public life. Despite these attacks, Mamdani secured a clear victory in America’s largest city, reflecting changing demographics and voter priorities in New York.

Political analysts note that the targeting of Muslim politicians with false terrorism allegations has become a recurring tactic in American politics. Similar smears have been directed at other Muslim elected officials, including members of Congress, often using fabricated connections to extremist groups to undermine their legitimacy.

As Mamdani prepares to take office, his team has focused on his policy agenda rather than responding to the false allegations. His campaign emphasized plans to address housing affordability, public transportation improvements, and community investment across New York’s five boroughs.