Rama Duwaji, the artist and illustrator who became New York City’s First Lady following the 2025 election of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is facing intense scrutiny after a series of inflammatory social media posts from her past resurfaced this week.
The report, initially detailed by the Washington Free Beacon, links Duwaji to accounts on X (formerly Twitter) and Tumblr that allegedly utilized racial epithets and expressed support for figures associated with U.S.-designated terrorist organizations. The controversy has ignited a firestorm in City Hall, testing the administration of Mayor Mamdani, a progressive who has frequently found himself at odds with the city’s centrist and conservative wings.
Allegations of Racial Slurs and Militant Support
The investigation highlights posts dating primarily between 2013 and 2017, a period when Duwaji was in her late teens and early twenties. Key findings from the report include:
- Racial Epithets: A 2013 post on X allegedly authored by Duwaji used the N-word in a casual context: “Helllll yeah, ni**. Super duper genius, excuse you.”*
- Support for the PFLP: Several posts reportedly praised members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group the U.S. State Department has designated as a foreign terrorist organization since 1997. One Tumblr post featured an image of Leila Khaled—a PFLP member known for her role in two airplane hijackings—accompanied by the quote: “If it does good for my cause, I’ll be happy to accept death.”
- Anti-Israel Rhetoric: Reposted content from 2015 allegedly stated, “F**k Tel Aviv. Shouldn’t exist in the first place. They are occupiers,” while other posts accused Israel of being a “genocidal state.”
- Criticism of U.S. Military: One post described American soldiers as “not brave” and accused them of “slaughtering 3rd world civilians.”
The Free Beacon stated it verified the accounts by cross-referencing biographical details, unique usernames, and utilizing facial recognition software on shared images. While Duwaji’s primary Instagram remains active, the older X account in question was deactivated shortly after the report’s publication.
A Growing Pattern of Controversy
This is not the first time Duwaji’s digital footprint has complicated her husband’s mayoralty. Earlier this year, reports emerged that she had “liked” social media posts that characterized reports of sexual violence during the October 7 Hamas attacks as a “mass rape hoax.”
In response to previous inquiries, Mayor Mamdani has sought to distance his administration from his wife’s private actions.
“My wife is a private person who has held no formal position on my campaign or in my City Hall,” Mamdani stated during a recent press conference. “I was elected to represent all 8.5 million New Yorkers, and I am the one accountable for the policies of this city.”
Critics, however, argue that the First Lady’s views reflect on the Mayor’s inner circle. Public figures, including Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy and various local advocacy groups, have pointed to these posts as evidence of a broader ideological bias within the administration.
The Political Fallout
The timing of these revelations is particularly sensitive as Mayor Mamdani navigates a “rocky start” to his tenure, according to local political analysts. While his supporters argue that holding a private citizen accountable for teenage social media activity is a “right-wing hit job,” others contend that the nature of the posts—specifically the use of racial slurs and the celebration of militants—raises legitimate questions about the judgment of those closest to the city’s executive.
Current Status of the Investigation:
- Authenticity: The Mayor’s office has not explicitly denied the authenticity of the accounts but emphasizes that the posts are nearly a decade old.
- Accountability: No official city resources are currently allocated to the First Lady’s office, a move Mamdani made early on to shield her from political scrutiny.
The Mayor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for a fresh comment following the Free Beacon’s latest report.
