Republicans aim to link the Democrats with Zohran Mamdani after primary discomfort

Speaking at the Summit of the Faith and Freedom coalition in Washington, DC, an annual evangelical meeting in the capital of the nation, the Republican leaders showed an emerging line of attack against the Democrats to energize the voters and defend their majorities of Congress: the rise of the legislator of the New York state zohran mamdani, a 33 -year -old democrat Democratic of New York City.

Mamdani bothered the former New York governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday with a campaign that concentrated on the affordability: he promised to increase taxes to the committed to increase taxes on the rich and corporations, help finance groceries owned by the city, eliminate bus rates and expand public housing initiatives.

His victory raised him to the national conversation of the morning: Washington Republicans use it as a new opportunity to represent Democrats as “radical socialists” and out of tune with the country.

The National Committee of the Republican Congress, the republican campaign arm of the House of Representatives, has also rushed to link the National Democratic Party with Mamdani.

Representative Mike Lawler (RN.y.), who represents a swing district out of New York City and served with Mamdani in the state legislature in Albany, Posted in x that the Democrats in New York “will pay the price of this madness at the polls.”

“Look what we just happened in New York,” said the president of the Republican National Committee, Michael Whatley, adding: “This is where the Democrats are. They are open borders, inflationary expenses, weak America.”

While some progressive Democrats have embraced Mamdani, some of the party’s leaders have stopped supporting him. Some moderate Democrats representing the suburbs of New York have criticized it and refused to support their campaign.

Mamdani, critic of the Israel government, has faced accusations of anti -Semitism about past comments and proposals. In response, he has emphasized policies to combat anti -Semitism, said he wants to concentrate on the problems of the city and has said that he supports Israel’s right to exist as a state with equal rights for all.

The governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, in a speech at the same conference as Whatley, also criticized Mamdani while looking to link him with the Democrats.

“Listen, the progressive left will not stop. They will not stop trying to take us along a path to socialism and, therefore, we can never stop … Look at what happened in New York. They nominated a candidate for mayor who would flush Bernie Sanders,” said Youngkin.

“But it is not just New York. This is the challenge we face continuously and why we have to continually remind ourselves that the elections have consequences,” he said.

Ralph Reed, a Republican operation and president of the Faith and Freedom coalition, told journalists on Friday that Mamdani’s victory, and a victory in the general elections in November, would place it in the center of the Democratic Party as leader of the largest city in the country.

“The Mayor of New York City is one of the most outstanding political figures, not only in the United States, but in the world,” he said. “I don’t care if you are Rudy Giuliani or Ed Koch or, you know, [Michael] Bloomberg, or you know, whoever is. It is a big problem. I mean, if the Democrats wanted it or not if he won the primaries, he is helping to define that game. “

ABC News has communicated with Mamdani’s campaign for comments on the comments made at the conference.

When ABC News Rachel Scott’s senior correspondent asked Wednesday about Republicans who seize his self -identification as a Democratic socialist to paint all Democrats similarly, Mamdani replied: “You know, I see that so many New York, especially those we saw. [on primary] The night, they are not really worried: they are excited about the recognition of the inequality they face in their own lives. “

Some Republicans have launched what some call Islamophobic attacks against Mamdani. Born in Uganda, Mamdani, who is Muslim of Indian descent, lived in the United States since he was 7 years old and became a naturalized citizen in 2018.

The republican representative of the House of Representatives, Andy Ogles de Tennessee, wrote on Thursday that he was requesting that the Department of Justice open an investigation into the citizenship of Mamdani, specifically its application of naturalization.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, (R-G.), In response to Mamdani’s victory, published an altered image digitally of the statue of freedom covered in a burka.

Several Muslim Democrats of Congress have strongly withdrawn against the Ogles letter, asking the Democratic leaders to denounce the attacks.

American representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ilhan Omar (D-minn.), André Carson (d-ind.) And Lateefah Simon (D-Calif). They wrote in a joint statement on Friday: “These hateful, Islamophobes and racist Trops have become so attempted and normalized in our policy … American.”

At a press conference on Friday, the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.), who has stopped supporting Mamdani, but plans to meet him, called the effort of Ogles “disgusting”.

The American representative Ritchie Torres (DN.Y.), who has strongly criticized Mamdani for his views and has supported Cuomo in the primary of the Mayor’s Office, wrote in x On Thursday, “it is no secret that I have deep disagreements with Zohran Mamdani. But each Democrat, and each decent person should speak morally against the despicable Islamophobic attacks that have directed him.”

Other Chamber Democrats also arrived in Mamdani’s defense for comments.

Reed, who said he was not familiar with Ogles or Greene positions, suggested that other Republicans should focus on criticizing Mamdani’s policies and legislative record.

“I haven’t even seen it, but I wouldn’t think it would be a dominant message,” he told reporters. “There is so much material about this type.”

Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Who won her seat last November, while Trump took the state of Michigan at the presidential level, minimized disagreements within the party and argued that Mamdani’s victory in New York stressed the approach of voters in the economy throughout the country.

“People, as in November, are still really focused on costs and economy, and their own kitchen table mathematics, and are looking for a new generation of leadership,” Slotkin said Thursday. “It reinforces that you can disagree on some key issues, but understand that people are concerned about their family budget, that is something unifying for a coalition.”

ABC Tiffany Li contributed to this report.