Rep. Mike Lawler slammed far-left mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani as dangerously anti-Israel and extremist, calling Andrew Cuomo the “lesser of two evils” in New York’s high-stakes mayoral race.
In a fiery rebuke that underscores the growing alarm over rising antisemitism in American politics, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) tore into Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday, blasting him as an extremist whose anti-Israel views make former Governor Andrew Cuomo look like “the lesser of two evils.”
Speaking on WABC’s “Sid & Friends in the Morning,” Lawler declared, “This is a choice for New Yorkers. And ultimately, they have to choose between the lesser of two evils. Between Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo — it’s not even close.”
Mamdani, who ousted Cuomo in the Democratic primary and now faces him in the general election as an independent, has become a lightning rod for controversy due to his relentless attacks on Israel and his embrace of radical figures. His record reveals a disturbing pattern of antisemitic rhetoric and anti-Israel activism that has alienated large segments of the Jewish community and mainstream Democrats alike.
Just one day after the October 7 Hamas massacre that slaughtered 1,200 Israelis — including women, children, and elderly — Mamdani publicly criticized Israel instead of condemning the terror group. He has since refused to denounce the call to “globalize the intifada,” a slogan that glorifies violence against Jews worldwide.
In a move widely condemned by Jewish organizations, Mamdani announced he would no longer recognize the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism — a standard endorsed by the U.S., Israel, and dozens of Western nations. He has gone further by pledging to “arrest” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York, citing a disputed International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant — despite the United States not being a member of the ICC.
Perhaps most shockingly, Mamdani has campaigned alongside Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a controversial Brooklyn cleric named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing — a move that has alarmed both Jewish and moderate Muslim leaders.
Lawler’s condemnation reflects growing bipartisan concern that New York — home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel — could see its values hijacked by a radical fringe hostile to America’s closest ally. “This is not the New York we want or deserve,” Lawler said. “We cannot allow hate and extremism to lead this city.”
With Cuomo running as an independent and Mamdani representing the Democratic left, the race has become a referendum on whether New Yorkers will stand with Israel and the values of democracy, or empower an anti-Israel ideologue bent on tearing them down.
