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Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) referred to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D), who is the city’s first Muslim mayor, as “the enemy” after Mamdani chose to be sworn into office with his hand on the Quran.
The new mayor was inaugurated on Thursday at City Hall, where he pledged to “emulate” the leadership of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who spoke at the ceremony. On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Mamdani would be sworn in while placing his left hand on two family Qurans, which he did shortly after midnight.
Hours after the Times published the news, Tuberville posted a screenshot of the article, which at the time was titled “Mamdani Will Be First N.Y.C. Mayor to Use the Quran at his Swearing-In.” The senator, who is running for governor of Alabama this year, wrote, “The enemy is inside the gates.”
Mamdani, 34, was born in Uganda to Indian parents and immigrated to the U.S. when he was about 10 years old.
After Mamdani defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for the mayor’s position, Tuberville claimed that New York City would soon be “completely Muslim.”
“We just saw what happened in New York,” he said in November. “We lost New York. It will be completely Muslim in three or four years. That’s what they want. They’re gonna have everything free there for them and they’re just going to spread throughout the country.”
Tuberville, a former college football coach, has repeatedly criticized Islam, which last month he called “a cult.”
“Islam is not a religion,” he posted. “It’s a cult. Islamists aren’t here to assimilate. They’re here to conquer. Stop worrying about offending the pearl clutchers. We’ve got to SEND THEM HOME NOW or we’ll become the United Caliphate of America.
