A public spat has erupted after British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan sharply criticized US President Donald Trump’s son, Eric Trump, for alleging that New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani “hates the Indian population.”
The Allegation
During a recent interview with Fox News, Eric Trump levelled sweeping accusations against the 34-year-old Democratic socialist and mayor-elect. He criticized Mamdani for his political stance on foreign policy and his progressive domestic agenda.
Eric Trump claimed that the leader, who he labelled a “socialist” and a “communist,” exhibits hostility toward multiple communities:
“There’s no place in the world that could compete against New York City, right? No one could compete against New York City, and yet, you know, then you have a socialist, you have a communist, however you want to label him who wants to arrest (Israeli prime minister Benjamin) Netanyahu, hates the Jewish people, hates the Indian population, you know, wants to defund the law enforcement, and you know what that’s going to cause.”
He specifically targeted Mamdani’s policy positions, which include advocating to “nationalize grocery stores” and his controversial campaign statement supporting the enforcement of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit New York.
Mehdi Hasan’s Rebuke
Mehdi Hasan, whose family also traces its roots to the Indian subcontinent, fired back directly at Eric Trump’s remarks on X, sharing a snippet of the interview and writing:
“Zohran Mamdani is Indian. This is why they call Eric the dumbest of the dumb sons.”
Hasan’s response highlighted the logical flaw in the accusation, given Mamdani’s widely known heritage.
Mamdani’s Indian and Multicultural Roots
Zohran Mamdani is poised to become New York City’s first Muslim and first Indian-origin mayor, as well as its youngest leader in over a century.
- Heritage: He is the son of acclaimed Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair and renowned Ugandan-Indian academic Mahmood Mamdani. Zohran was born in Kampala, Uganda, and both his parents are of Indian descent, connecting him to the Indian diaspora that established roots in East Africa.
- Political Achievement: Mamdani secured a historic victory in the November 4 mayoral election, winning with 1,036,051 votes, which accounted for 50.4 per cent of the total vote share.
Mamdani’s progressive ideology has been a frequent target of criticism from the Trump family. President Donald Trump previously referred to Mamdani as a “communist” and threatened to drastically cut federal funding for New York City if he were elected.