Giuliani Links NYC Mayor Mamdani to Extremism, Criticizes Homelessness Policy Reversal
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has sharply criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani, alleging ties to “Islamic extremism” and questioning his commitment to public safety. Giuliani made the remarks in a Newsmax interview on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, connecting Mamdani’s political beliefs to a recent reversal of a cold-weather policy designed to protect the homeless.
Giuliani asserted that Mamdani’s ideology demonstrates a disregard for human life. “Communists have no regard for human life,” he stated on “Ed Henry The Big Take.” “Neither do Islamic extremist supporters. He’s both — he’s like a double vector.”
The former mayor specifically referenced a decades-old emergency measure that allowed the city to compel individuals experiencing homelessness into shelters during dangerously cold temperatures. “He reversed a policy of New York City that started before me, continued with me, and continued to him,” Giuliani said. “It’s a policy that says if you get near freezing, then all these rules about you can’t force the homeless to go into a shelter are over. You can force them to go into a shelter.”
Giuliani’s criticism comes as New York City grapples with the aftermath of Winter Storm Fern, which reportedly contributed to the deaths of 16 people experiencing homelessness, as reported on January 27, 2026.
Mamdani, who was elected in November 2025, has described himself as a democratic socialist and campaigned on a platform of expanded government intervention in areas like housing, healthcare, and economic policy. He is the city’s first Muslim mayor.
Giuliani further accused Mamdani of sympathizing with groups he considers America’s adversaries, citing alleged support for Hamas, and Iran. “He’s very favorable to Hamas,” Giuliani claimed. “They’ve only killed hundreds of thousands of people.” He also stated Mamdani is “very favorable to Iran,” alleging his father was a supporter of these groups, and asserting that Mamdani’s allegiances are not concealed.
The former mayor previously leveled accusations of “Muslim extremism” against Mamdani in November 2025, following the mayoral election. According to a November 10, 2025 report in the New York Post, Giuliani advised Mamdani to “step down and do something else,” branding him a “Communist — right out of Karl Marx.” Giuliani also raised concerns about a photograph of Mamdani with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, a cleric who reportedly called for a “gun-free jihad” in New York City.
Giuliani reportedly stated, “The imam he was with is a strong supporter of terrorism. I’m not worried that he’s a Muslim. I’m worried that he supports Muslim extremism.” He also questioned whether Mamdani would be granted a security clearance by the federal government, calling him “a serious security threat to the United States of America.”
In a January 1, 2026, appearance on Newsmax, Giuliani also criticized Mamdani for taking the oath of office on the Quran, as reported by Newsmax. He claimed Mamdani has “warm relationships with people associated with” Hamas and alleged that some of the mayor’s associates have made anti-Jewish remarks.
Giuliani, who served as mayor of New York City during and after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, later served as an attorney for President Donald Trump and was subsequently pardoned by the Trump administration for his role in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Trump returned to office after the 2024 election.
