Aunt couldn't use subway post-9/11, claims Zohran Mamdani -- here's how JD Vance, Elon Musk reacted

U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Saturday taunted New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani after the Democratic Socialist candidate grew emotional while recounting how his Muslim aunt stopped using the subway in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Mamdani had shared the story as an example of the discrimination and fear experienced by Muslim New Yorkers in the years following the terrorist attack.

“My aunt stopped riding the subway after September 11 because she didn’t feel safe being seen in a headscarf,” Mamdani said, adding that fear and humiliation had shaped the experiences of many Muslim New Yorkers in the years since the attacks.

Mamdani had earlier come under fire from Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, who accused him of holding extremist sympathies. In a post on X, Vance wrote, “According to Zohran the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks.”

Elon Musk reacts

Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk replied to Vance, saying, “Wow”.

Earlier, Musk was seen engaging with a tweet by The New York Post where Mamdani was seen campaigning alongside a Brooklyn imam, who was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing and has been linked to other extremist activities in the US, including calls for “jihad” in New York City.

The Democratic frontrunner for mayor was photographed smiling and standing arm-in-arm with Imam Siraj Wahhaj at his Bedford-Stuyvesant mosque, an image Mamdani shared on X a day after the first mayoral debate.

Speaking outside a mosque in the Bronx, Mamdani criticised his rivals for bringing “hatred to the forefront”, noting that their Islamophobia affects not only him as the Democratic nominee but also close to one million Muslims living in New York.

The speech followed controversial remarks by his top opponent, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who laughed after radio host Sid Rosenberg said Mamdani “would be cheering” if another September 11 attack occurred. Cuomo responded in agreement: “That's another problem.”

Who is Zohran Mamdani?

Since his unexpected win in the Democratic Party primary in June, New Yorkers have grown accustomed to seeing his bearded, smiling face on television and on badges proudly displayed by his young supporters.

The 34-year-old frontrunner was born in Uganda to a family of Indian heritage and has lived in the United States since the age of seven, becoming a naturalised citizen in 2018, according to a report by AFP.

He is the son of acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, known for Monsoon Wedding and Salaam Bombay!, and Mahmood Mamdani, a renowned professor and Africa scholar, prompting some critics to label him a “nepo baby.”

He followed a path familiar to many from affluent, liberal backgrounds, attending the prestigious Bronx High School of Science and later Bowdoin College in Maine, an institution known for its progressive leanings.

In 2015, performing under the stage name “Young Cardamom,” Mamdani stepped into the rap scene, drawing inspiration from Das Racist, a hip-hop group with two members of Indian origin known for playfully weaving South Asian references into their music.

Mamdani's foray into the competitive world of professional music was short-lived, with the artist-turned-politician later describing himself as a “second-rate rapper.”

He was elected in 2018 as a lawmaker from Queens, a melting pot of predominantly poor and migrant communities, representing the area in the New York State Assembly.

What has Mamdani promised?

Mamdani has centred his campaign on making New York City affordable for the vast majority of its 8.5 million residents who are not wealthy.

His platform includes expanding rent control, providing free daycare and bus services, and establishing city-run neighbourhood grocery stores.

A vocal advocate of the Palestinian cause, Mamdani has described Israel as an “apartheid regime” and referred to the war in Gaza as a “genocide”, remarks that have drawn criticism from parts of the Jewish community.

A soccer and cricket fan, Mamdani married American illustrator Rama Duwaji.

(With inputs from agencies)