Will & Grace star Debra Messing sparked outrage after she shared a controversial comment that appeared to label newly elected New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani as a jihadist.
Messing, 57, reposted a political meme to her Instagram story from an account called Persian Jewess on November 4, the same day as the New York City Mayoral election.
The image captured a voter filling out a fake ballot with two options, the first of which read ‘A Democrat. Just a democrat.’
The second option read: ‘An actual communist jihadist. A literal Karl Marx-quoting, America-hating jihadist.’
Her post sparked an online furure as critics hurled insults at the Jewish actress, describing her as a ‘racist’, ‘idiot’ and ‘c**t.’
The post from the original account was captioned: ‘This isn’t just a mayoral race. It’s the battle for Democracy itself. New York City, make the right choice. Vote for [Andrew] Cuomo. Vote for NYC. Vote for Democracy,’ which was accompanied by the hashtag #ZohranMamdani, according to Yahoo News.
One user wrote: ‘I truly hope Debra Messing never gets hired for anything ever again. The way she was calling Zohran a jihadist. The day OF the election. Just a deeply racist person.’
Another added: ‘Not to poke fun at a woman’s appearance, but why do y’all think Debra Messing looks like that now? Ugly rots from the inside.’
Messing, 57, reposted a political meme to her Instagram story from an account called Persian Jewess on November 4, the same day as the New York City Mayoral election
The image captured a voter filling out a fake ballot with two options, the first of which read ‘A Democrat. Just a democrat.’ The second option read: ‘An actual communist jihadist. A literal Karl Marx-quoting, America-hating jihadist’
A third said: ‘That was some sort of journey she has posted on her story. I would say meltdown isn’t quite enough of a strong word.’
The actress posted at least 90 times on her story throughout the day – it’s unclear if all the posts were in connection to the mayoral race.
However, some others came to the defence of the Emmy award winning Will & Grace star.
‘Glad to see she finally came to her senses,’ one supporter wrote.
‘Good for her. Good for Debra Messing. At least somebody has some common sense. Unlike you, who is clearly brainwashed and highly uneducated,’ another added.
A third agreed, accusing Mamdani of being a ‘communist piece of s**t.’
Hours after Messing’s controversial post, Mamdani went on to defeat former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Silwa.
Messing, who has made no secret of her political opinions and is outspoken about anti-semitism in the community, had earlier revealed she voted early for Cuomo on October 25.
Hours after Messing’s controversial post, Mamdani went on to defeat former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Silwa
Will & Grace star Debra Messing is being torn apart online after she shared a political meme to her social media that appeared to label Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a jihadist
‘I voted for Andrew Cuomo because we need someone with experience to bring our city back to what it should be – safe, the thriving financial center of the world, more low-cost housing, more police to make our streets and subways safe for everyone,’ she wrote.
‘A social worker cannot help someone who is stabbed in the subway.’
She argued that New York City is too large for someone as young as Mamdani, 34, and that his lack of practical experience makes it difficult for him to handle the responsibilities as mayor.
She urged her followers to vote and use their voices to make a difference.
Mamdani has shrugged off criticism about his age and inexperience throughout his entire campaign.
After his overwhelming victory on Tuesday night, he listed the early pledges he intends to move on, including universal childcare, fast and free buses, and freezing rent hikes for tenants in rent-stabilized units.
His broader platform has stressed affordability measures such as a $30 minimum wage, additional affordable housing and higher taxes on the city’s wealthiest residents.
Mamdani’s team and supporters framed the final result as a mandate for affordability measures and a rejection of the attacks that marred the contest.
