U.S. influencers spread false claim linking Zohran Mamdani to ISIS

Friday 07 November 2025 - 11:00

By: Sahili Aya

U.S. influencers spread false claim linking Zohran Mamdani to ISIS

WASHINGTON — Several U.S. right-wing influencers have falsely associated New York mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani with the Islamic State (ISIS), circulating a fabricated statement that went viral on social media, according to researchers.

Mamdani, who made history as the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of New York City, won this week’s election despite online attacks targeting his faith and progressive policies.

The disinformation campaign centered around a fake ISIS communique titled “Operation Manhattan Project”, allegedly announcing an Election Day attack in New York. The message, shared by anti-Mamdani accounts on X (formerly Twitter), claimed to celebrate the victory of a Muslim mayor — a statement that never originated from the extremist group.

Among those amplifying the false link was Laura Loomer, a far-right influencer and close ally of Donald Trump, who posted: “The Muslims can’t think of a better way to celebrate the victory of a Muslim mayoral candidate today than by committing an ISIS attack in NYC.” Her post alone drew more than 200,000 views.

Researchers from NewsGuard and the Information Epidemiology Lab confirmed that the document was a hoax first appearing on 4chan, a forum notorious for conspiracy content. Experts noted that the fake message did not resemble genuine ISIS communications in tone, structure, or distribution.

“Mamdani has long condemned both antisemitism and Islamophobia,” said analysts, recalling the harassment he faced after 9/11 and during his campaign. The 34-year-old politician, focused on addressing New York’s housing and cost-of-living crisis, has repeatedly been the target of racist misinformation.