Will & Grace star Debra Messing is facing intense criticism after sharing offensive posts about Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani on social media.
Mamdani swept to victory to become New York City’s new mayor Tuesday night after receiving 50.4 percent of the vote, according to CBS News. Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo won 41.6 percent of the vote, and Republican Curtis Sliwa took home just seven percent.
Messing took part in early voting last week, sharing in a post that she cast her ballot for Cuomo because “we need someone with experience.” “Our city is too massive, complex, and consequential to have someone 33 years old who has never held a job, and missed 80% of his votes as Councilman,” Messing shared on Instagram. “Perhaps with more experience. But not now.”
However, on Tuesday, Messing, who is Jewish and a staunch advocate for Israel, shared dozens of Instagram Stories besmirching Mamdani. Her ire appears to be directed at Mamdani’s pro-Palestine rhetoric, while Cuomo is a longtime supporter of Israel.
“A vote for Sliwa is a vote for Mamdani is a vote for New-York-Stan,” read one graphic she reposted. Another featured a ballot on which the options were “A Democrat” and “An Actual Communist Jihadist… A literal Karl Marx-quoting, America-hating jihadist.”
Messing also reposted a video of one influencer calling Mamdani “Osama bin Mamdani,” according to The Wrap.
The Independent has reached out to representatives for Messing and Mamdani for comment.
On social media, critics called out the “Islamophobic” nature of some of Messings posts.
“The Debra Messing meltdown is in full swing. An embarrassing loser,” wrote one person on X alongside a screenshot of her Instagram Story.
“For some reason I punished myself by looking at Debra Messing’s Instagram and she has like 20 stories that are just Islamophobia,” added a second.
“I think Zohran has actually broken her brain,” wrote a third.
“Debra Messing is just straight up sharing Donald Trump’s own posts now,” another pointed out.
Messing had previously been critical of Trump, even sharing a social media post in which she compared the Republican to Adolf Hitler.
Meanwhile, Trump admitted to having a crush on the actor — praising her “beautiful red hair” — in Ramin Setoodeh’s 2024 book, Apprentice in Wonderland.
“Maybe that’s why he can’t quite shake the bitterness that now exists between them,” wrote Setoodeh. “A former president who can’t win over a star almost sounds like the premise of a corny romantic comedy, but for Trump, Messing’s rejection is still a sharp dagger to his heart.”
Mamdani’s election at age 34 makes him the first Muslim and Indian American mayor for the city and its youngest mayor in generations.
