A firestorm erupted Saturday as Steve Bannon launched a scathing attack on New York City’s newly elected Mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, directly questioning his citizenship and eligibility for office.
Bannon alleged discrepancies in Mamdani’s naturalization papers, claiming they contained falsehoods that disqualify him from holding the mayoral position. He insisted a thorough investigation would reveal these alleged deceptions, potentially leading to Mamdani’s removal.
The accusations extended beyond citizenship, with Bannon asserting Mamdani had misrepresented past affiliations, specifically linking him to “jihadist entities.” He suggested a designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization could swiftly lead to Mamdani’s deportation.
Bannon painted a stark picture of New York City as a “sanctuary city overrun and controlled by illegal aliens,” framing Mamdani’s election as a symptom of a larger betrayal by the nation’s leadership. He called for immediate intervention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to address the situation.
He characterized Mamdani with intensely charged language, alleging animosity towards specific groups and a lack of patriotism, claiming the Mayor-elect never mentioned “Americans” in his speeches. Bannon described him as a “Ugandan, Marxist, jihadist,” a label intended to evoke strong negative reactions.
Bannon’s statements framed Mamdani’s victory not as a democratic outcome, but as the culmination of “50 years of treason by our elites.” He urged the Department of Homeland Security to immediately investigate the matter, signaling a potential legal battle ahead.
The core of Bannon’s argument rested on the idea that any false statement made during the naturalization process should result in immediate deportation, setting a potentially far-reaching precedent for future cases.
He portrayed New York City as uniquely vulnerable, emphasizing its status as a global financial hub and arguing that its control by “illegal aliens” poses a significant threat. This rhetoric tapped into anxieties about national security and economic stability.
