Explosive decade-old antisemitic posts by Mamdani aide Hassaan Chaudhary spark outrage, exposing extremist rhetoric and raising serious concerns about New York’s incoming leadership.
In a stunning blow to New York City’s incoming administration, Hassaan Chaudhary—a key figure in Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team—has been engulfed in scandal after a cache of his past social-media posts surfaced, revealing a pattern of vile antisemitic, anti-Israel, and anti-LGBT rhetoric.
The decade-old posts, uncovered by the New York Post, paint a disturbing picture of a young man glorifying Jew-hatred and praising enemies of Israel. As a teenager, Chaudhary repeatedly used the word “Jew” as a slur, smeared Israel as a “barbaric nation” and a “bloody country,” and shamelessly hailed Iranian strongman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the same leader who called Israel a “cancerous tumor” to be wiped off the map. Chaudhary called him “fearless.”
His feed overflowed with classic antisemitic tropes, conspiratorial rants about Jewish politicians, and crude Nazi references. In 2012, he replied to a Pakistani journalist with an insult in Urdu implying that being Jewish was shameful—language that mirrors the rhetoric of the darkest regimes in history.
He didn’t stop there. Chaudhary dismissed gay-rights conversations as “claptrap,” arguing society needed “boundaries,” placing him in stark conflict not only with democratic values but also with New York’s own celebrated culture of inclusion.
Jewish leaders reacted with shock and fury:
- Dov Hikind, founder of Americans Against Antisemitism, blasted the rhetoric as “Adolf Hitler language… a horror show.” He warned that Mamdani’s leadership has fostered an environment where such poison can flourish: “The fish stinks from the head.”
- Veteran strategist Rabbi Hank Sheinkopf issued a sobering reminder: “It always begins with the Jews, but it never ends with the Jews. Who’s next on the list?”
The backlash has raised sharp questions about the ideological direction of Mamdani’s incoming administration—already criticized for its radical anti-Israel posture. Critics argue that Chaudhary’s inclusion in the transition effort reflects not an accident, but a pattern.
Chaudhary, who served as Muslim outreach director during Mamdani’s campaign, attempted a walk-back, issuing a carefully crafted apology claiming the comments “do not reflect who I am today.”
But the mayor-elect’s camp—while condemning the posts—stopped short of announcing any disciplinary action. Their spokesperson insisted Chaudhary was not the political director but merely involved in religious outreach, calling the posts “reprehensible.” Still, silence on consequences has only deepened concerns.
This controversy lands atop a growing pile of evidence that key players in Mamdani’s orbit hold radical anti-Israel and antisemitic views—an ominous sign for America’s largest Jewish community.
For now, New Yorkers wait to see whether Mamdani will take decisive action—or whether this incident will mark the beginning of a troubling new era in the city’s political culture.
