Actor and comedian Michael Rapaport sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a Jewish gathering outside Gracie Mansion on Friday.
“Zohran the moron is the most divisive mayor in the history of this city by far,” Rapaport said. “He’s a two-bit con man.”
Rapaport also accused Mamdani’s wife of being “an antisemite” and “a racist,” as well as “a homophobic.”
Michael Rapaport visits the SiriusXM Studios on March 31, 2026, in New York City. (Noam Galai/Getty Images)
Mamdani’s office responded to News Outlet’s request for comment Friday by pointing to remarks the mayor made earlier in the week about the planned gathering.
“I welcome them,” Mamdani said. “They can have a vigil, or I’ve heard some describe it even as a protest.”
The mayor said the group could gather outside Gracie Mansion regardless of whether the event was “intended to be” a vigil or a protest.
“I think that at the time that they are there I will probably be somewhere else across the city,” Mamdani added.
Rapaport said he is “absolutely considering running for mayor,” while acknowledging that he could support another candidate if that person had “a better chance of winning.” The next New York City mayoral election is scheduled for 2029.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a news conference to announce a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s new public charge rule, which could make it harder for immigrants to obtain green cards if they rely on public benefits, at City Hall in New York City on Sept. 14, 2026. (ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images)
Rabbi Binyamin Krauss, principal of SAR Academy, a Modern Orthodox school in New York City, outlined the gathering’s purpose in an essay published by The Times of Israel.
“On Friday morning, students from SAR, Ramaz, and a number of other schools will stand on East 88th Street and daven. They’ll sing. A few of them will speak. Then they’ll get back on the buses and return to class, two days before Yom Kippur,” Krauss wrote.
“Here’s what we want students to learn in the three periods this costs: you belong in this city, and when Jews feel unsafe we gather, and we pray, out loud. We express both our vulnerability and our agency at the same time. Showing up is a civic act, one the Constitution protects and one they’ll need for the rest of their lives,” he wrote. “Our students love this city and they love Israel, and they don’t see a contradiction.”
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Some people who appeared to be Jewish counterprotesters were also seen near Friday’s gathering expressing anti-Israel views. One sign read, “Mayor Mamdani A Friend of Jews While Opposing Israeli Crimes,” while another stated, “Anti-Zionism Is NOT Anti-Semitism.”
