The political world erupted Friday after President Donald Trump publicly rejected GOP claims that New York mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani is a “jihadist” – a moment that immediately blew up Rep. Elise Stefanik’s central campaign message in the New York governor’s race.
And Washington insiders, journalists, and even Stefanik herself quickly chimed in online, as the New York Republican doubled down on her claim just minutes after the Oval Office exchange went viral.
“We all want NYC to succeed,” Stefanik wrote Friday on X. “But we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one. If he walks like a jihadist If he talks like a jihadist If he campaigns like a jihadist If he supports jihadists, He’s a jihadist. And he’s @KathyHochul’s jihadist.”
MAGA influencer Laura Loomer rushed to Stefanik’s defense, warning her X followers: “We should mind. The word fascist is what got Charlie Kirk assassinated while he was surrounded by a table full of hats that said ’47.’” She added: “What is @EliseStefanik going to campaign on now during her NY Gubernatorial campaign since @ZohranKMamdani’s policies have been signed off as comfy by the GOP? Are you still running for Governor, Elise? Dems just need to run clips of the presser today to defeat Elise…”
Noah Rothman, a senior writer at the conservative National Review, wrote on X: “Remember when Rs were gonna use Mamdani as the archetypical socialist foil ahead of the midterms?”
But the reaction from across social media was brutal.
“RIP to Elise Stefanik’s favorite talking point,” Kevin Donohoe, a communications official with the Democratic Governors Association, wrote in a social media post.
Sarafina Chitika, communications director for Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, piled on: “Apparently, we’ve found the literal ONE thing Donald Trump and @EliseStefanik disagree on… …and it’s her entire reason for running for governor,” she told her X followers. “Hard to overstate what a devastating blow this is to Stefanik’s campaign.”
Mark McDevitt, chief of staff to Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA), wrote: “The only loser from that oval office press conference was Elise Stefanik and that is a beautiful thing.”
“Trump just ended Elise Stefanik,” former federal prosecutor Ron Filipkowski wrote on X. “I so wish I could see her face right now. (First time I’ve ever said that).”
New Yorker Matt Castelli, a business executive and former CIA counterterrorism official, made clear how he thought the moment landed.
“This presser is a complete disaster for Elise Stefanik’s campaign of fear-mongering about Mamdani. She’s going to have to find a new boogeyman,” he wrote. Castelli followed up with: “Elise Stefanik spent nearly a decade selling her soul to Trump only for him to dump her as UN Ambassador and end her campaign for governor.”
Democratic commentator Kaivan Shroff summed it up with his own post: “The biggest loser of the Trump-Mamdani meeting is Elise Stefanik. And boy does she deserve it.”
We all want NYC to succeed.
But we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one.
If he walks like a jihadist
If he talks like a jihadist
If he campaigns like a jihadist
If he supports jihadists,
He’s a jihadist.
And he’s @KathyHochul’s jihadist. pic.twitter.com/JZaM29d82R
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) November 21, 2025
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