Republican Tells Zohran Mamdani: ‘Go Back to the Third World’

Republican Representative Brandon Gill has told New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to “go back to the Third World” in response to a video of him eating with his hands.

A brief clip of Mamdani eating rice with his hands and talking about how growing up in Uganda shaped his understanding of the struggle of Palestinians went viral on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.

The clip prompted a backlash from right-wing figures including Gill, who wrote that “civilized people in America don’t eat like this,” and that “if you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World.”

However, others hit back at Gill’s comments, noting that many Americans eat food like pizza, burgers and tacos with their hands.

Mamdani, a state lawmaker, declared victory in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary last week after former governor Andrew Cuomo conceded the race. He would be the city’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor if elected in November.

Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian parents and lived briefly in South Africa before moving to New York City when he was seven. He became an American citizen in 2018, shortly after graduating college.

This is a developing story. Updates to follow.