Zohran Mamdani’s emotional speech outside a Bronx mosque set off a predictable media maelstrom after he recounted that his “aunt stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab.” Many New Yorkers heard that anecdote as an attempt to center personal grievance over the nearly 3,000 Americans who were murdered on that horrific day, and the remark immediately ignited fury across the political spectrum.
The backlash was swift and justified. Prominent commentators and politicians — from JD Vance to angry citizens on social media — ripped Mamdani for what many saw as a tone-deaf minimization of the true victims of 9/11, while even former rivals accused him of playing the victim rather than showing basic decency to families who lost loved ones. Those reactions underline a fundamental truth: 9/11 is not political currency to be repurposed for identity-politics scoring.
On CNN’s panel, host Abby Phillip offered context for Mamdani’s remarks while Scott Jennings bluntly pointed out what was missing — an explicit acknowledgement of the victims who perished at the Twin Towers. Instead of pressing the candidate on the obvious insensitivity, the exchange felt like another example of mainstream outlets soft-pedaling for a favored political project and giving cover to an awkward political message.
Conservative outlets and commentators naturally circulated a DM clip and reactionary coverage highlighting Jennings’ critique, and hosts like Dave Rubin amplified the moment to show how even establishment media defenders are forced into awkward half-defenses when their preferred candidates stumble. That clip underscored how the left’s media machine reflexively rushes to humanize and protect instead of holding people accountable when necessary.
Beyond the insensitivity, questions are swirling about the veracity and context of Mamdani’s anecdote, with social media sleuths claiming his named relative may not have even lived in New York in 2001. Whether that’s true or not, the broader pattern is clear: candidates who traffic in identity grievance while brushing aside the plain facts about terrorism and who ally with controversial figures deserve rigorous scrutiny from both the press and voters.
This episode is emblematic of the political theater the left has perfected — weaponize personal identity, demand forgiveness for omissions, and then call critics “bigots” for daring to insist on common-sense standards of respect. Hardworking Americans, especially the families scarred by 9/11, deserve better than a campaign narrative that twists grief into a cudgel for partisan advantage while the media looks the other way.
As Election Day approaches, voters should remember who actually suffered and who is trying to turn tragedy into virtue-signaling. The proper response to 9/11 remains solemn remembrance and accountability, not opportunistic identity politics and media-managed excuse-making. New Yorkers deserve leaders who honor victims, defend public safety, and answer plainly when they make a mess of their messaging.
