Comedian Bill Maher criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday over the mayor's statement marking the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, saying the mayor's message was tone-deaf. "His rap name was Tone Deaf," Maher said, according to the Washington Times account @WashTimes.
The remark, delivered during Maher's monologue, targeted a statement from the self-described democratic socialist mayor that, according to coverage of the same subject, pivoted to criticism of Israel while commemorating the attack. Maher used the monologue to rip into Mamdani over the statement, which he described as tone-deaf.
The October 7 attack is being described in the coverage as a Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, and the third anniversary of that attack is the occasion for the statement at issue. The underlying claim about what the statement said is not independently confirmed and is reported here as it is being described in the accounts carrying the reaction.
Maher's criticism spread quickly across conservative and mainstream outlets, with the Washington Times, Newsmax, and other outlets carrying the exchange. The Washington Times account @WashTimes reported Maher's line on Friday morning. The comedian's remarks were also picked up by other coverage, including items describing Maher mocking Mamdani's response to the anniversary and calling it tone-deaf.
The reaction comes as Mamdani is also facing criticism on a separate front. On Sunday, the mayor compared an ICE officer involved in the shooting of an illegal alien to a "mass shooter," according to the Newsmax account @NEWSMAX. Mamdani reiterated his criticism of immigration enforcement operations, which he said were terrorizing the city.
"They are making a mockery of what law and order is supposed to be," Mamdani said, according to CBS New York, which reported on the mayor's comments about last week's ICE shooting in northern Manhattan. The CBS New York account reported that Mamdani did not hold back on Sunday when he spoke about the shooting.
The shooting at issue occurred last week in northern Manhattan, according to the CBS New York coverage. The mayor's remarks on Sunday followed that incident. The characterization of the officer as a "mass shooter" is what the mayor said, as reported by Newsmax, and the underlying details of the shooting are not independently confirmed here.
The two episodes—Maher's criticism over the October 7 statement and Mamdani's criticism of ICE over the shooting—have merged into a single news cycle in which the mayor is being criticized from multiple directions. Maher, a comedian and HBO host, is not a political ally of Mamdani's, and his monologue targeted the mayor's statement directly. The coverage of the same subject shows that Maher's criticism was framed as a response to the mayor's decision to criticize Israel in a statement marking the anniversary of the attack.
Mamdani, for his part, has not backed away from his criticism of immigration enforcement. His Sunday remarks, as reported by Newsmax and CBS New York, reiterated his view that ICE operations were terrorizing the city. The mayor's comparison of an ICE officer to a "mass shooter" is among the strongest language he has used on the issue, according to the accounts.
The accounts carrying the reaction include the Washington Times, Newsmax, and CBS New York, as well as other outlets that picked up the Maher monologue. The spread of the reaction across these accounts shows that the exchange has moved beyond a single outlet's coverage.
Next News Network could not independently verify the underlying claims about the October 7 statement or the details of the ICE shooting in northern Manhattan.
The mayor's office has not issued a response to Maher's criticism, according to the accounts reviewed. The White House has not commented on the mayor's remarks about ICE, according to the same accounts. Neither omission is treated here as a statement about either party's position.
Maher's monologue, according to the coverage, focused on the mayor's statement marking the third anniversary of the October 7 attack. The comedian's line—"His rap name was Tone Deaf"—was the headline quote from the segment, as reported by the Washington Times. Maher's criticism was framed as a response to the mayor's decision to pivot to criticism of Israel in a tribute to the victims of the attack.
The October 7 attack is being described in the coverage as a Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. The third anniversary of that attack is the occasion for the statement at issue. The mayor's statement, as described in the coverage, marked the anniversary while also criticizing Israel.
Mamdani's Sunday remarks on ICE came as he reiterated his criticism of immigration enforcement operations. The mayor said the operations were terrorizing the city, according to Newsmax. He also compared an ICE officer involved in the shooting to a "mass shooter." The shooting occurred last week in northern Manhattan, according to CBS New York.
The mayor's language on ICE is among the most direct criticism of the agency from a sitting mayor in recent memory, according to the accounts. The comparison to a "mass shooter" is a characterization that the mayor made, and it is reported here as what he said, not as what happened.
The reaction to the mayor's remarks has come from multiple directions. Maher's criticism on Friday targeted the October 7 statement. The coverage of the same subject shows that Maher's remarks were part of a broader pattern of criticism of the mayor over his statements on Israel and immigration.
The accounts carrying the reaction include @WashTimes, which reported Maher's line on Friday morning, and @NEWSMAX, which reported the mayor's Sunday remarks. CBS New York also reported the mayor's remarks about the ICE shooting. The spread of the reaction across these accounts shows that the exchange has moved beyond a single outlet's coverage.
The mayor's office has not issued a response to Maher's criticism, according to the accounts reviewed. The White House has not commented on the mayor's remarks about ICE, according to the same accounts. Neither omission is treated here as a statement about either party's position.
Next News Network could not independently verify the underlying claims about the October 7 statement or the details of the ICE shooting in northern Manhattan.
Our Take
Bill Maher is no conservative, but his jab at Mamdani lands because it names the obvious: a mayor who marks the anniversary of a Hamas massacre by lecturing Israel is not speaking to the moment. The "Tone Deaf" line is a comedian's line, but it captures a real political problem for Mamdani. The mayor's decision to compare an ICE officer to a "mass shooter" is the same instinct—elevating rhetoric against law enforcement while wrapping himself in the language of law and order. New Yorkers who watched the October 7 attack unfold know what a mass shooter looks like, and it is not an ICE officer doing his job. Mamdani's comments are not just out of step with the city; they are out of step with the facts. The reaction from Maher and the spread of the story across the Washington Times, Newsmax, and CBS New York show that the mayor's words are being heard—and judged—far beyond his base. That is a problem Mamdani's staff cannot spin away.
