Mamdani Makes Controversial Move As Conflict With Iran Intensifies
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted controversial anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil and his family for a Ramadan dinner at Gracie Mansion. Khalil, a Syrian-born activist and former Columbia University graduate student, attended the gathering with his wife, Noor, and their young son, Deen, The New York Post reported. The mayor posted about the event on Instagram on Monday, including a photo from the evening.
“Last night, as we marked the one-year anniversary of his detention, Rama and I were honored to welcome Mahmoud, Noor, and their son Deen to Gracie Mansion to break our fast together,” Mamdani wrote.
The photo showed Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, holding a plate of food while standing next to Khalil, who sat smiling during the meal.
The dinner was held during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when many Muslims fast from dawn until sunset before gathering with family and friends to break the fast.
Khalil was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement early last year and has been fighting deportation proceedings.
The Trump administration accused Khalil of committing fraud on his green card application.
Officials have also alleged that Khalil supports Hamas, the Palestinian militant group responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks against Israel.
The administration has relied in part on a rarely used federal statute that allows noncitizens to be deported if their beliefs are deemed a potential threat to U.S. foreign policy interests.
Mamdani praised Khalil in his social media post and described the past year as difficult for the activist and his family.
For Mamdani, Khalil’s year “has been marked by profound hardship—and by profound courage,” he wrote.
“And yet, even in the face of that cruelty, there has also been beauty. New Yorkers raising their voices in solidarity. A city refusing to look away. Mahmoud won his freedom, and a father was finally reunited with his child,” the mayor added.
Khalil spent several months in federal custody at a detention facility in Louisiana while the case moved through the courts.
During that time, Khalil’s son was born while he remained in ICE custody.
“Mahmoud is a New Yorker, and he belongs in New York City,” Mamdani wrote.
Mamdani has repeatedly defended Khalil during the legal battle.
Khalil was released from custody after a three-judge panel in New Jersey ruled in June that he should have been allowed to pursue the immigration process outside of detention.
The mayor argued earlier this year that Khalil’s arrest raised broader questions about free speech protections.
“I see this attack on him as part of a larger attack on the freedom of speech that is especially pronounced when it comes to the use of that speech to stand up for policy to human rights,” Mamdani said at a press conference in January.
Khalil has also drawn criticism over comments he made regarding the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.
In an interview with The New York Times, Khalil described the violence as a turning point in the Palestinian struggle.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t avoid such a moment,” Khalil said. “To me, it felt frightening that we had to reach this moment in the Palestinian struggle.”
Critics said the remarks appeared to justify the attacks carried out by Hamas.
The White House condemned the comments at the time and accused Khalil of minimizing the brutality of the assault.
Khalil later drew additional attention after appearing at an anti-Israel rally in New York City following his release from custody.
During the rally, he quoted alleged Hamas terrorist and Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, who was killed in an Israeli missile strike last August.
“The time is now, the bridges towards liberation start with us,” Khalil said as he repeated what he described as al-Sharif’s final words.
The dinner at Gracie Mansion comes as the controversy surrounding Khalil continues to draw attention in both political and legal circles.
Thune Breaks With Trump, Backs Cornyn After Paxton Endorsement
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday he will continue supporting Sen. John Cornyn despite President Donald Trump endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in one of the most closely watched Republican Senate primaries of the 2026 cycle.
Speaking to reporters following Trump’s endorsement announcement, Thune praised Cornyn as “a principled conservative” and an “effective senator” for Texas, signaling a rare split between Senate Republican leadership and the president.
“Cornyn is a principled conservative. He is a very effective senator for the state of Texas,” Thune said.
“None of us can control what the president does. That doesn’t change the way I feel. I will continue to be supportive of Senator Cornyn in his re-election,” Thune added.
The comments came just hours after Trump formally endorsed Paxton on Truth Social, delivering a major boost to the Texas attorney general as he seeks to unseat Cornyn in the Republican runoff election.
In his endorsement, Trump criticized Cornyn for insufficient loyalty during politically difficult periods of his presidency.
“Ken Paxton has been a warrior for Texas values and for our America First agenda,” Trump wrote. He added that Cornyn “was not supportive of me when times were tough.”
The endorsement immediately intensified an already bitter and nationally significant Republican primary battle that has exposed growing tensions inside the GOP between establishment Senate Republicans and Trump-aligned populists.
Early voting in the runoff began Monday and continues through Friday, with Election Day set for May 26.
Despite the internal divisions, Thune expressed confidence Republicans would retain control of the Senate in November.
“I’m very confident we’ll hang on — and maybe even expand the majority of the United States Senate,” Thune said.
Republicans currently hold a six-seat Senate majority. Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to retake control of the chamber.
Several races, including contests in Maine, Michigan, and North Carolina, are currently viewed as highly competitive.
The Texas race has become particularly important because Democrats believe a bruising Republican runoff could weaken the eventual GOP nominee heading into the general election against Democratic candidate James Talarico.
Recent polling has suggested an unusually competitive general election environment in Texas. One survey released Monday reportedly showed both Cornyn and Paxton running roughly even with Talarico in hypothetical head-to-head matchups.
That possibility has alarmed some Republicans, particularly moderates concerned that Paxton’s legal controversies and polarizing political image could jeopardize a seat long considered safely Republican.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski openly criticized Trump’s endorsement Tuesday, warning it could backfire politically.
“I was supremely disappointed,” Murkowski said. “How does that help strengthen the president’s hand when we lose a state like Texas?”
Paxton has remained a dominant figure among Texas conservatives despite years of legal and political controversies, including securities fraud charges that were later resolved and an impeachment battle in the Texas legislature from which he was ultimately acquitted by the state Senate.
Trump allies have framed the race as a test of loyalty to the president and the broader America First movement, while Cornyn supporters argue the longtime senator offers stability, fundraising strength, and legislative experience critical for maintaining Republican control of the Senate.
Cornyn, who has served in the Senate since 2002 and previously chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has longstanding ties to GOP leadership and donor networks in Washington. But critics on the right have increasingly portrayed him as part of the party establishment out of step with the Republican base.
Paxton has sought to capitalize on that frustration, presenting himself as a fighter aligned more closely with Trump’s populist agenda on immigration, election integrity, and federal power.
The runoff has also become a broader proxy battle over the future direction of Senate Republicans after Trump’s sweeping victories reshaped the party.
