NEW YORK — First Lady Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is facing intense public scrutiny following a report by the Washington Free Beacon linking her to controversial social media activity from her late teens and early twenties. The posts, dating from 2013 to 2017, include the use of a racial slur and inflammatory comments regarding the U.S. military and Israel.
Key Allegations from the Report
The investigation utilized facial recognition and biographical data to link First Lady Duwaji to now-inactive accounts on X (formerly Twitter) and Tumblr:
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Racial Slurs: A 2013 post allegedly shows the use of the N-word in a casual context.
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Anti-Israel Rhetoric: Posts from 2015 and 2017 stated that Tel Aviv “shouldn’t exist” and described the city as occupied territory.
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Praise for Militant Figures: The report highlights re-posts of Leila Khaled, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
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Criticism of U.S. Troops: One post allegedly claimed U.S. soldiers were “not brave” and were “slaughtering 3rd world civilians.”
Context of Recent Controversies
This report follows several other headlines involving the First Lady’s online activity since her husband took office in January 2026:
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October 7 “Likes”: Earlier in March, she was criticized for “liking” posts that celebrated the Hamas attack on Israel and dismissed reports of sexual violence as a “hoax.”
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Professional Associations: She faced backlash for illustrating a book by anti-Zionist author Susan Abulhawa, whose rhetoric the Mayor later described as “reprehensible.”
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Entry Ban Consideration: Reports suggest Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs is considering banning her from entering the country, citing her “unrestrained” social media history.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Response
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor, has consistently defended his wife while maintaining her status as a private citizen:
“My wife is the love of my life, and she’s also a private person who has held no formal position on my campaign or in my City Hall. I was elected to represent all 8.5 million people… and it’s my responsibility to answer for my thoughts and my policies.”
About First Lady Rama Duwaji
Born in Houston and raised in Dubai, the 28-year-old animator and illustrator has had her work featured in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and at the Tate Modern. She is the first Gen Z and first Muslim First Lady of New York City.
