Elise Stefanik Reacts to Trump Dismissing Mamdani as a &#...

By Peter Aitken and Gabe WhisnantShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

Republican Representative Elise Stefanik of New York doubled down Friday on her claim that New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is a “jihadist,” saying that while she wants the city to succeed, she and President Donald Trump “will have to agree to disagree.”

Her remarks came after Trump dismissed her characterization, telling reporters in the Oval Office he had just met with “a very rational person” who, like him, wants peace in the Middle East.

Stefanik, a candidate in the 2026 New York gubernatorial election, posted on X, "We all want NYC to succeed. But we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. If he walks like a jihadist If he talks like a jihadist If he campaigns like a jihadist If he supports jihadists, He’s a jihadist. And he’s @KathyHochul’s jihadist."

Her post was accompanied by a New York Post cover photo of Mamdani with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a prominent Brooklyn cleric and ally of the mayor-elect, who has long been a central figure in New York’s Muslim community and an influential national religious leader. He has also drawn scrutiny over the years for being listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing case — a designation he strongly disputed — and for past ties to individuals later convicted on terrorism charges, though he has never been charged with wrongdoing and has consistently condemned violence.

Stefanik’s post on X repeated her accusation in pointed terms, even as Trump’s meeting with Mamdani struck a notably conciliatory tone. Mamdani, a democratic socialist and prominent critic of Israeli policy, is set to take office in January.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.