Zohran Mamdani, Trump's 'worst nightmare', may in fact be a gift to him
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Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Inside Zohran Mamdani's lavish wedding at private Ugandan compound
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic socialist, reportedly held a lavish wedding celebration at a private compound in Uganda. The New York mayoral-hopeful is said to have hosted a party last weekend at his parents' property in the billionaire neighbourhood of Buziga Hill, outside of the capital city of Kampala. Mr Mamdani, 33, told social media followers he and his wife, Rama Duwaji, 27, were heading to his home country to celebrate their recent nuptials with his family. His parents' home, set on two acres of land, was guarded by masked security guards with phone-jamming signals set up to ensure complete privacy at the event, according to The Post. The celebration lasted days, with partying late into the night, a source told The New York Post. 'I will be back' Mr Mamdani, making light of racist trolls who told him to 'go back to Africa,' and poking fun at the media interested in his private life, posted on TikTok about the trip. 'Since you will undoubtedly read about this trip in The New York Post – Inshallah on the front page – here are a few of my humble suggestions for headlines,' he said, as Photoshopped front pages popped up on-screen. The headlines read: ''M.I.A IN AFRICA', 'U-GANDA MISS ME', AND 'HE'S GONE KAMPALA-ETELY CRAZY.'' He added: 'I do want to apologise to the haters though, because I will be back.' Mr Mamdani and Ms Duwaji, an artist and animator, married earlier this year after meeting on the dating app Hinge. He stormed the New York mayoral primaries to become the Democratic nominee for the November race. His socialist and anti-Israel policies have drawn criticism, and he has so-far failed to secure endorsements from top Democrats, including House majority leader Hakeem Jeffries, his counterpart in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul. Last week, prominent Jewish Democrat Josh Shapiro accused Mr Mamdani of failing to address 'blatant anti-Semitism among some of his supporters. 'You have to speak and act with moral clarity, and when supporters of yours say things that are blatantly anti-Semitic, you can't leave room for that to just sit there,' the 52-year-old Democrat said of Mr Mamdani. 'You've got to condemn that,' the governor, who is Jewish, added. A self-described anti-Zionist, Mr Mamdani is a vocal supporter of Palestine, who has been accused of inciting anti-Semitism by refusing to condemn the phrase 'globalise the intifada'.
Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
Donald Trump demands Beyonce is ‘prosecuted' for supporting Kamala Harris
Donald Trump has bizarrely called for Beyonce to be prosecuted – over disputed claims regarding endorsements. Months after he claimed victory in the 2024 election, the President is clearly still smarting over the string of names that stepped up to endorse Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. In fact, months after theories arose on social media that Queen Bey was paid $10million for her appearance at a rally in Houston, the 79-year-old alleged that she broke the law by taking a multi-million-dollar pay cheque. Taking to Truth Social over the weekend, he fumed: 'I'm looking at the large amount of money owed by the Democrats after the presidential election and the fact that they admit to paying, probably illegally, $11million to singer Beyoncé for an ENDORSEMENT (she never sang, not one note, and left the stage to a booing and angry audience!).' The former TV star also called out alleged endorsements to Oprah Winfrey and activist Al Sharpton 'for doing absolutely nothing'. 'These ridiculous fees were incorrectly stated in the books and records,' he continued. 'YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PAY FOR AN ENDORSEMENT. IT IS TOTALLY ILLEGAL TO DO SO. 'Can you imagine what would happen if politicians started paying for people to endorse them. All hell would break out! 'Kamala and all of those that received endorsement money BROKE THE LAW. They should all be prosecuted! Thank you for your attention to this matter.' This isn't the first time that Trump has mentioned the sum, but he did not shed further light on where the number came from. In a radio interview with Mark Levin from February, he simply said: 'Somebody just showed me something. They gave her $11million.' However, CNN reports that there is nothing to suggest that the Texas Hold 'Em singer has ever received a sum of $11m related to Harris' campaign. It is unclear how the figure was calculated, and the White House has not yet addressed the lack of proof behind Trump's claims. Beyonce sent fans into a spin when she appeared on stage at a campaign event in Houston shortly before the polls closed, alongside Destiny's Child bandmate Kelly Rowland. 'I'm not here as a celebrity, I'm not here as a politician, I'm here as a mother,' she told the crowd. 'A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we're not divided. 'Imagine our daughters growing up seeing what's possible with no ceilings, no limitations. We must vote, and we need you.' According to CNN, spending records for the campaign do show a payment of $165,000 to Beyonce's production company, which was listed as a 'campaign event production' expense. This comes after a spokesperson for the campaign previously told Deadline that they were required by law to cover costs related to a celebrity endorser's appearance, but would not pay for the stars themselves. Senior advisor and spokesperson Adrienne Elrod insisted: 'We do not pay. We have never paid any artist and performer. We have never paid a fee to that person. 'There are laws that have to be followed that we have followed religiously on this campaign.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Campaigns are required to cover 'any ancillary costs' for a celebrity appearance, which could range from travel expenses to staging, food and drink. Although Bey has never addressed Trump's claims directly, her spokesperson branded allegations that she was paid $10m for the appearance 'beyond ridiculous'. Tina Knowles was also unhappy about the speculation, and took to Instagram to share that a since-removed post regarding the claims had been 'flagged as fake news'. 'It's called False Information,' she wrote. 'Sadly other platforms with a lack of integrity still have it up. The lie is that Beyonce was paid 10 million dollars to speak at a rally in Houston for Vice President Kamala Harris. 'When In Fact: Beyonce did not receive a penny for speaking at a Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harrris's Rally in Houston. In fact she actually paid for her own flights for her and her team, and total Glam. 'They are not only lying and disrespecting Beyonce's name but they are trying to further discredit the power of our vice president! When does the lies and rumors stop? [sic].' Oprah was also forced to deny that she was paid to support Harris after it was claimed that she was paid $1m – a fee that actually went to her Harpo production company. More Trending In a comment under an Instagram post by the Shade Room, she said: 'Usually I am reluctant to respond to rumors in general, but these days I realize that if you don't stop a lie, it gets bigger. I was not paid a dime. My time and energy was my way of supporting the campaign. 'For the live streaming event in September, my production company Harpo was asked to bring in set design, lights, cameras, crew, producers and every other item necessary (including the benches and the chairs we sat on) to put on a live production. 'I did not take any personal fee. However, the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story.' Metro has contacted reps for the White House and Beyonce for a comment. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: 'Awkward' Keir Starmer tried to rekindle 'bromance' with Donald Trump during visit MORE: Fantastic Four beats Superman with $218,000,000 box office win MORE: Trump says Gaza children 'look very hungry' after Israel denies any starvation
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Zohran Mamdani throws lavish wedding party in Uganda
Socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani recently celebrated his wedding to his artist wife at a lavish compound owned by his family in Uganda. Mamdani, 33, shocked the political world when he defeated Andrew Cuomo to win the Democrat nomination to run the Big Apple, campaigning on far left policy and drawing controversy for his anti-Israel views. The state assemblyman recently took a break from the campaign to visit Uganda, where he was born and spent the first few years of his life being raised by his filmmaker mother Mira Nair and academic father Mahmood Mamdani. The far-left Queens politician reportedly held a three-day celebration after he eloped with 27-year-old illustrator Rama Duwaji this past February. Not only was the affair held in the wealthy Buziga Hill area of Kampala in a compound owned by his parents - the wedding party was watched by armed and masked security guards, with one witness claiming nine guards were watching one entrance. Security was so tight, the party even had a cellphone-jamming system, The New York Post reports. Invited guests partied past midnight to celebrate Mamdani and Duwaji - who met on the dating app Hinge - and their recent nuptials. One of the locals called the wedding in bad taste as the nation was in mourning for former Ugandan Supreme Court Judge George Kanyeihamba, with the party blocking the nation's president from visiting to pay the family his respects. Andrew Cuomo - still in the mayoral race as an independent following his primary defeat to Mamdani - attempted to poke fun at his rival. In a poll posted to X, he asked his followers to vote on whether Mamdani's three-day wedding was 'champagne socialism' or 'trust fund socialism.' has reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment. Mamdani's illustrator wife Rama Duwaji, 27, had been low-key during her husband's social media-driven campaign before joining him on stage when he celebrated victory on primary night. Some critics of the left-wing candidate, 33, had even accused him of 'hiding his wife from NYC ' during his bruising primary against former Governor Cuomo. But Duwaji was all smiles as she marked her husband's victory on stage, and wrote on Instagram that she 'couldn't possibly be prouder' of him as he shocked his establishment opponent. Mamdani, who met his wife on the dating app Hinge, lovingly addressed Duwaji in front of his crowd on primary night, saying 'Rama, thank you' as he kissed her hand. The potential future First Lady of the Big Apple says on her Instagram bio that she is 'from Damascus', however a Mamdani campaign spokesperson told the New York Times that she was actually born in Texas . She is best known for her illustrations and animations, many of which are pro-Palestine themed and criticize Israel and the Trump administration. Duwaji's artwork has appeared in numerous galleries including London's Tate Modern, and has been included in news outlets including the New Yorker, the BBC and the Washington Post. As his wife's lack of presence on the campaign trail became a source of ammunition for his opponents, Mamdani took on his critics with an Instagram post of his own. 'If you take a look at Twitter today, or any day for that matter, you know how vicious politics can be,' Mamdani wrote alongside images from their civil ceremony. 'I usually brush it off, whether it's death threats or calls for me to be deported. But it's different when it's about those you love. 'Three months ago, I married the love of my life, Rama, at the City Clerk's office. Now, right-wing trolls are trying to make this race – which should be about you – about her.' He added: 'You can critique my views, but not my family... (Rama) isn't just my wife, she's an incredible artist who deserves to be known on her own terms.' Among Duwaji's recent artworks shared to her Instagram include calls to release previously detained Columbia student and pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil, who was locked up by the Trump administration for months without being charged with a crime before he was freed in June. In May, she also shared an animation condemning Israel's treatment of civilians in Gaza, which showed a woman holding a bowl that read 'it's not a hunger crisis... it is deliberate starvation.' Duwaji's thrust into the limelight comes as her husband rapidly rose to national prominence with his surprise victory. The 33-year-old has faced mounting questions about his experience since he gained traction and ultimately won the Democratic primary, with his only public service work coming as a state assemblyman. In the state assembly, Mamdani promoted few bills, and his legislative record includes co-sponsoring bills requiring prisons to house inmates based on their self-declared gender, preventing law enforcement from asking about a perp's immigration status, and forcing small businesses to make their product packaging eco-friendly. Critics have said a Mamdani win will see the Big Apple slide back into the type of permissive lawlessness that scarred the city during the COVID crisis, but which woke locals and lawmakers scoffed at. When asked by Good Morning America about his lack of experience, Mamdani avoided talking about his record and turned the question back on his recent run for mayor. 'The experience that I show in this moment is to be able to meet the crisis that New Yorkers are facing, and deliver them a new kind of city,' he said. 'One that is unencumbered by the old ways.' Mamdani has described himself as 'Trump's worst nightmare', and his far-left policy platform sharply divided the nation as he gained traction in the mayor's race. He says he wants to raise taxes on the top one percent of New York earners - something the mayor does not have the authority to do - and make a number of city services free including childcare and buses. The city assemblyman has also proposed spending $65 million on transgender care, freezing rent on rent-stabilized apartments, and creating city-owned grocery stores. He has also advocated for defunding the city's police department, defended pro- Palestine slogans like 'globalize the intifada' - which critics say is an anti-Semitic call for the destruction of Israel - and said he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
