Will and Grace star Debra Messing came under fire on social media after the television star took a dig at New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on election day
21:24 ET, 04 Nov 2025Updated 21:36 ET, 04 Nov 2025
Will & Grace star Debra Messing is under fire on social media(Image: Getty Images)
Will & Grace star Debra Messing found herself in hot water after she shared a political meme saying New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is a “jihadist” on election day.
The 57-year-old television star shared the offensive post, which came from the account The Persian Jewess, to her Instagram Stories timeline as many Americans headed to the polls on Tuesday. In the original image, there was an edited ballot that listed two candidates, with one reading, “A Democrat. Just a Democrat.” Meanwhile, the other read, “An actual communist jihadist. A literal Karl Marx-quoting, America-hating jihadist.”
When The Persian Jewess account first posted the photo, it came with a caption stating, “This isn’t just a mayoral race. It’s the battle for Democracy itself. New York City, make the right choice. Vote for [Andrew] Cuomo. Vote for NYC. Vote for Democracy,” including the hashtag #ZohranMamdani at the end of the caption.
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After Debra shared the offensive post, she garnered much backlash on social media as many condemned her for resharing the outrageous photo.
“I think Zohran has actually broken her brain,” one user concerning Debra on X, formerly Twitter. Mamdani is currently up against former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, 67, and Curtis Sliwa, 71, for the position of Mayor of New York.
Debra Messing shared an offensive post about Zohran Mamdani on social media(Image: Getty Images)
Mamdani beat Cuomo in a historic 13-point win during the Democratic primary in June, leading Cuomo to re-enter the race as an independent to offer New Yorkers a moderate alternative shortly after his loss.
President Donald Trump, 79, came out the day before the election to express his support for Cuomo in the contentious race for Mayor.
Mamdani issued Cuomo a shady remark on Wednesday morning following the endorsement, saying on X, “Congratulations, @AndrewCuomo. I know how hard you worked for this.”
Debra shared the offensive post
While Mamdani’s comment could be perceived as trolling, he was adamant when speaking to Jon Stewart of The Daily Show about how endorsements from elite political figures holding significant weight in elections is becoming a thing of the past.
“It’s interesting in many ways because our politics and the media that covers it is often focused on the question of endorsements. And it’s part of what gave [Andrew] Cuomo the sense of inevitability in the primary,” Mamdani explained, reflecting on his rise. “He just seemed to pick up all of these different endorsements. And I think what we showed, in many ways, was that the days of endorsements deciding elections, those days have come to an end. It’s the people who build up a campaign.”
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