Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama defended a social media post comparing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to the 11 September 2001 terror attacks, telling a reporter on Tuesday that he based the comparison on the mayor's own words.
'I just go by his rhetoric,' Tuberville told DC News Now's Reshad Hudson, Fox News reported.
The post, shared last Thursday on X, showed an image of the Twin Towers burning alongside a photograph of Mamdani hosting a Ramadan iftar at City Hall. The original image came from an account called 'End Wokeness' and carried the caption 'Less than 25 years apart.' Tuberville added his own line: 'The enemy is inside the gates.'
As of Wednesday morning, the post was still pinned to the top of his X account.
The enemy is inside the gates. https://t.co/YSNHIpDnds
— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) March 12, 2026
Tuberville Doubles Down With More Posts Targeting Islam
Pressed on the post, Tuberville told Hudson that Mamdani had 'made a lot of statements about his stance with Islam and radical Islam, all the things that go along with what he preaches every day.' He added: 'I'm just kind of repeating what he's saying.'
The senator said he did not want to see division in the country and that religious background should not matter. 'I don't care if you're Muslim or Catholic or Baptist, it makes no difference,' he said.
When Hudson asked whether Muslim constituents in Alabama might take offence, Tuberville said he had 'some great Muslim friends' and had recently spoken to 'two Iranians in Alabama' about the ongoing conflict.
He did not stop there. In a series of posts on Tuesday, Tuberville wrote: 'Radical Islam is the enemy of any freedom-loving American. The liberal media is running cover for Radical Islamists, but the Quran is pretty CLEAR on its instructions to KILL all non-Muslims.' Fox News noted that the Quran contains no reference to the United States or Americans.
In another post, he wrote: 'To anyone offended by me calling radical Islamic jihadists the enemy: If the shoe fits, wear it.'
Bipartisan Backlash Over Tuberville's 9/11 Comparison
Mamdani, who is New York City's first Muslim mayor, responded on X last Thursday. 'Let there be as much outrage from politicians in Washington when kids go hungry as there is when I break bread with New Yorkers,' he wrote.
Later that evening at an iftar dinner, Mamdani addressed the matter directly. 'For nearly as long as there has been a New York City, there have been Muslim New Yorkers,' he said. 'And yet, for nearly just as long, those with power and platform have sought to dehumanise us.'
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the post 'mindless hate' and said 'Islamophobic hate like this is fundamentally un-American.' Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut described it as 'vicious' and 'racist.' California Gov. Gavin Newsom used profanity to condemn Tuberville, and Rep. Dan Goldman of New York labelled the post 'blatantly racist' and 'wildly Islamophobic,' The Hill reported. Sen. Bernie Sanders called it 'blatant Islamophobic racism.'
The pushback was not limited to Democrats. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, the only Republican representing New York City in Congress, said the post was 'absolutely unacceptable' and that 'people like that should not be in public life.'
Tuberville's remarks came alongside a string of anti-Muslim comments from other Republican members. Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee wrote on 9 March that 'Muslims don't belong in American society.' Rep. Randy Fine of Florida faced calls for censure after writing he would choose 'dogs' over Muslims. Democrats filed censure motions against both lawmakers.
House Speaker Mike Johnson offered a restrained response, saying 'the language that people use is different language than I would use.'
