A sharp political dispute erupted Thursday after California Governor Gavin Newsom launched a profanity-filled response to Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville over a controversial social media post linking a New York City political figure to the September 11 attacks.
The conflict began when Tuberville reposted an image circulating online that juxtaposed a photograph of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with a picture of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The post quickly drew attention on social media, with critics accusing the Alabama senator of attempting to associate the mayor with one of the deadliest attacks in American history.
The enemy is inside the gates. https://t.co/YSNHIpDnds
— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) March 12, 2026
Newsom reacted forcefully on the platform X, issuing a blunt and personal rebuke aimed directly at Tuberville. In his response, the California governor accused the senator of engaging in racist rhetoric and condemned the post as inflammatory political messaging.
The exchange quickly became part of a broader political debate surrounding Mamdani, whose recent actions as mayor have drawn both praise and criticism.
The immediate controversy stems from Mamdani hosting his first official iftar dinner at New York City Hall. Iftar is the traditional evening meal that Muslims eat to break their fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The event marked a symbolic moment for the city’s Muslim community and was intended to highlight religious inclusion and cultural recognition.
Tommy Tuberville proves to the world that a football hitting your head can turn you into a racist piece of shit. Congrats, Tommy. https://t.co/KLdG04vpwx
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 12, 2026
Prior to the City Hall gathering, Mamdani also hosted activist Mahmoud Khalil and his family at the mayor’s official residence, Gracie Mansion, for a Ramadan meal. According to the mayor, he and his wife welcomed Khalil, Khalil’s wife Noor, and their son Dean for the occasion.
That meeting, however, sparked backlash from critics due to Khalil’s past public comments regarding the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas against Israel. Khalil previously described the attack as an “unavoidable” moment within the broader Palestinian struggle and characterized it as an effort to force international attention on Palestinian political grievances.
During a later interview, Khalil declined to explicitly condemn Hamas, arguing that demands for condemnation were often framed in ways he considered disingenuous.
Let there be as much outrage from politicians in Washington when kids go hungry as there is when I break bread with New Yorkers. https://t.co/IibwxE1SDr
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) March 12, 2026
Critics pointed to those remarks as evidence that Khalil should not have been welcomed by a major American political figure. Supporters of Mamdani, meanwhile, argued that the mayor’s actions reflected outreach to diverse communities during Ramadan rather than an endorsement of Khalil’s political statements.
Mamdani addressed the controversy publicly, pushing back against the attention directed at him. He said he wished that politicians in Washington would display the same level of concern over issues such as hunger and poverty as they do when criticizing him for sharing meals with constituents.
