Right-wing media and some in Congress are escalating attacks on New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, but the smears appear to be losing their punch.

• A Fox News rabbi claimed any criticism of Israel equals hatred of Jews, and blamed Mamdani for a rise in anti-Jewish hate crimes in New York City.
• New York data shows hate crimes rose in the first seven months of 2026, with anti-Jewish incidents making up over half of confirmed cases — but no direct link to Mamdani.
• Newsmax voices and Representative Randy Fine went further, calling Mamdani a communist, an extremist, and "head of the Muslim Brotherhood," while offering little about what he has actually done wrong.
• Mamdani stays popular, moving fast on his agenda, and similar candidates like Abdul El-Sayed are winning too, suggesting the anti-Muslim, pro-Israel-loyalty playbook is fading.

Outlook: Expect the attacks to keep coming, but Mamdani's popularity and the appeal of his agenda are likely to hold.