Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral victory is tainted by his campaign’s ties to Zara Rahim, who once wished death on President Trump. The democratic socialist clinched New York City’s Democratic primary on Tuesday, but his team’s past is raising eyebrows, as the Washington Free Beacon reports. Rahim, a former Barack Obama staffer, brings a trail of controversy that could haunt Mamdani’s bid.
Mamdani, a self-styled progressive, paid Rahim $3,500 for communications consulting in May, banking on her experience to polish his image. Rahim’s resume boasts stints with Obama’s 2012 campaign, Hillary Clinton’s 2016 run, and glitzy clients such as Netflix and Mariah Carey. Yet her political baggage, including a venomous 2020 X post, overshadows her credentials.
Rahim’s career kicked off in Obama’s Office of Digital Strategy in 2013 and 2014, a perch that gave her progressive clout. She later served as a national spokeswoman for Clinton’s failed presidential bid, honing her media chops. But her work with Mamdani—crafting campaign videos and joining him backstage at Meet the Press—has thrust her back into the spotlight.
In October 2020, Rahim posted on X, “I hope he dies,” after Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis. The callous remark, since deleted, sparked outrage when unearthed, forcing her to lock her X account. Such vitriol from a key Mamdani aide raises questions about the campaign’s judgment.
Rahim’s X history is a cesspool of anti-American bile, from “I hate this country” rants to whining about New York’s bagel prices. “This f—ing rules,” she crowed after locking her account, as reported by the Independent, thumbing her nose at accountability. Her juvenile outbursts clash with the gravitas Mamdani claims to embody.
Born to Bangladeshi immigrants, Rahim’s progressive credentials include ties to Columbia University’s Incite Institute, a hub for activist scholarship. She was spotted on Columbia’s campus in spring 2024 amid a pro-Hamas student encampment, though her role remains unclear. Aligning with such causes hardly screams “mainstream appeal” for a mayoral hopeful’s team.
Mamdani’s campaign isn’t just Rahim’s redemption tour; it’s a magnet for controversy. Julian Gerson, Mamdani’s political director, praised alleged United Healthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione on Facebook, writing, “looking forward to driving down Mangione Avenue.” Gerson’s fawning over a murderer signals a troubling moral compass.
Gerson also lauded Mangione’s defiance of “nihilistic rejection,” framing the killer as a folk hero against corporate greed. Such rhetoric from Mamdani’s inner circle suggests a campaign more enamored with radical posturing than responsible governance. Voters deserve better than this circus.
Adding fuel to the fire, Mamdani previously employed Matthew Thomas, a democratic socialist jailed for three months in Delaware for soliciting sex from a minor. Thomas’s brief tenure reflects Mamdani’s knack for surrounding himself with liabilities. The pattern is impossible to ignore.
Neither Rahim nor Mamdani’s team responded to the Washington Free Beacon’s requests for comment, a deafening silence. Dodging scrutiny only deepens suspicion about the campaign’s values. Transparency, it seems, isn’t on the ballot.
Rahim’s work with high-profile clients like Nike and Uber shows she’s no stranger to slick branding. Yet her toxic X posts and Mamdani’s questionable hires suggest a campaign built on shaky ethical ground. New Yorkers might wonder if this is the leadership they signed up for.
Mamdani’s primary win was a triumph for the democratic socialist crowd, but his allies’ baggage could drag him down. Rahim’s Trump death wish and Gerson’s killer worship aren’t just PR headaches -- they’re red flags. The mayor’s office demands more than radical chic.
Rahim’s presence at Columbia’s pro-Hamas encampment, even if peripheral, ties Mamdani’s campaign to divisive activism. Her “I hate New York” griping doesn’t exactly scream civic pride, either. For a candidate pitching unity, these optics are a disaster.
Gerson’s Facebook posts glorifying Mangione reveal a campaign tone-deaf to public outrage over violence. Praising a killer as a rebel hero isn’t bold -- it’s reckless. Mamdani’s team seems more suited for a protest rally than City Hall.
As Mamdani rides his primary victory, his campaign’s radical undertones and refusal to address controversies paint a troubling picture. New Yorkers craving stability won’t find it in a team that cheers criminals and curses the country. This mayoral race just got a lot uglier.
