Zohran Mamdani Scandals That Were More Than Just Rumors

For all intents and purposes, newly minted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is winning on every level. Following a historic political victory and his official swearing-in ceremony on January 1, 2026, the 34-year-old politician has already seemingly made good on many of his campaign promises — and in record time. On January 5, he announced in a press release that he was appointing three new judges, including Cary Fischer, Andres Casas, and Natalie Barro. "New Yorkers deserve a justice system that delivers accountability, safety, and fairness across the five boroughs. I am proud to announce these judicial appointments, whose depth of experience and commitment to impartiality will strengthen our courts and restore public trust," he said about the appointments. Then, on January 6, he rolled up his sleeves and ceremoniously helped pave over an infamous bump at the end of the Williamsburg Bridge bike lane that proved to wreak havoc for New York City cyclists.

Alas, all the good deeds in the world still can't deter some of the scandalous rumors from plaguing the young mayor, of which there are a few. "This is someone who is just a facade," conservative Democratic city council member Bob Holden told Politico in October 2025, ahead of the big NYC election and Mamdani's unprecedented win. "He's fooling people." So, uh, let's get into it.

Perhaps one of the shocking things about Zohran Mamdani's successful mayoral campaign was just how much money his organization raised. All in all, it's estimated that the camp brought in approximately $4 million total in individual donations. Not too shabby, eh? It should be noted, however, that back in October, during the height of the mayoral race, the New York Post reported that, according to records, the campaign had accepted an estimated $13,000 in illegal foreign campaign donations. Per the tabloid newspaper, a minimum of 170 of the 54,000 donations came from contributors with personal addresses outside of the United States — including Mamdani's mother-in-law, who currently resides in Dubai. "Where there's smoke, there's fire, so I would be very concerned," Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa told The Post about the startling revelation. "There is probably a lot more in terms of foreign money."

After receiving receipts confirming said illegal donations, Mamdani's camp released a statement that read, "We will of course return any donations that are not in compliance with CFB law." Then, on October 30, KFOX14 reported that the campaign had returned nearly $9,000 of the illegal contributions. So, uh, no harm, no foul then?! We'll let you be the judge.

Self-proclaimed Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani ran an entire political campaign on being a modern-day "Robin Hood," hell-bent on delivering fare-free buses, universal childcare, rent freezes, and municipal grocery stores for all, all while increasing taxes on the rich. And that same mantra appeared to carry over into his personal life when he married his wife, Rama Duwaji, in a small, unassuming civil ceremony at the City Clerk's office in February 2025. In a piece covering the couple's nuptials, Mamdani told Interview Magazine that he purposely hand-picked the location because the building was, "in many ways public goods personified." The transportation to the location? The Subway. The florals? One single bouquet that Mamdani haphazardly picked up merely minutes before embarking on their sojourn to the municipal building. In short: the bride and groom were balling on a budget — or so we thought.

You can imagine the shock and dismay of many when it was revealed via an Instagram post in April 2025, that prior to Mamdani's intimate, humble, clerk's office wedding for two, he and his bride actually held a Nikkah, an Islamic religious ceremony, at a lavish event on the rooftop of a four-star hotel in Dubai overlooking the Burj Khalifa. "This Engagement and Nikkah was more than an event — it was a floral installation set against Dubai's dusky skyline," the couple's florist gushed in a bombshell Instagram post about the over-the-top floral arrangements they curated for the couple, including heaping amounts of soft ivory roses, lisianthus, and fresh ruscus, as evidenced in another post. As for the venue? It doesn't appear that the couple exercised a strict budget there either. According to the New York Post, wedding packages at the Vida Creek Harbour start at $72 per guest, with a food and beverage minimum of around $2,700. Cha-ching!

In a rather strange turn of events, following Mamdani's landmark NYC mayoral win, on November 21, 2025, Zohran Mamdani met with none other than President Donald Trump. Suffice to say, Mamdani entertaining Trump's big ego wasn't on anyone's 2025 bingo card. And yet, that's exactly what happened.

As you may recall, during the race for mayor, Mamdani was none too shy about his disdain for the president. Never forget his boisterous first speech as mayor-elect wherein he called Trump out directly. "If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him," he bellowed before a room full of rowdy and raucous supporters. Likewise, the president hasn't had the nicest things to say about the newly minted mayor — often referring to him as a "communist," claiming at nearly every turn that the Democratic Socialist would effectively run the Big Apple into the ground, and even threatening to pull federal funding. 

Strangely enough, the meeting — wherein both parties appeared very cordial — seemingly went off without a hitch, all while Trump's ego reached new heights. As one can imagine, some of Mamdani's supporters were less than enthused with the chummy get-together. Still, NYC's mayor was adamant that his feelings hadn't changed about Trump. "Everything that I've said in the past, I continue to believe," Mamdani said during an appearance on NBC's "Meet The Press." He added, "And that's the thing that I think is important in our politics, is that we don't shy away from where we have disagreements, but we understand what it is that brings us to that table, because I'm not coming into the Oval Office to make a point or make a stand. I'm coming in there to deliver for New Yorkers."