Patricia Heaton, beloved for her role on Everybody Loves Raymond, is throwing her full weight behind a petition that wants Democratic Socialist NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani kept far, far away from this year's 9/11 anniversary ceremony. As The American Tribune reported, Heaton took to X to cheer on the effort, writing "Keep it going New Yorkers" like a coach rallying the team from the sidelines.
The petition, which has already racked up more than 43,000 signatures, was reportedly created by someone who lost a family member during the attacks. That's not exactly a person whose opinion you can just wave away. Heaton shared a quote from another individual who lost a brother named David at the World Trade Center, who called Mamdani a "terrorist excuser" and said he "ought to be banned" from the commemorative event honoring the roughly 3,000 people killed on September 11, 2001.
So what exactly has Mamdani done to earn this level of outrage? Oh, buckle up, because the petition reads like a greatest hits album of controversy.
First, there's his apparent unwillingness to clearly condemn phrases like "globalize the intifada," which plenty of people interpret as cheerleading for violence. Then there's his praise of Brooklyn Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who was named as an alleged co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and served as a character witness for the "Blind Sheikh," convicted in 1995 of plotting terror attacks against America. That's quite the resume to be celebrating.
But wait, there's more. Mamdani reportedly blamed the United States for radicalizing Anwar al-Awlaki, an al-Qaeda propagandist with ties to the 9/11 hijackers. Critics say that's basically pointing the finger at the victim instead of the perpetrator, which is a bold strategy for a guy who wants to show up at Ground Zero.
The petition also points out that Mamdani endorsed a candidate named Aber Kawas, who described the September 11 attacks as something "a couple of people did" in the context of capitalism, racism, and Islamophobia. He also gave his blessing to Democratic primary winner Darializa Aria Chevalier, a Democratic Socialists of America member who once posted on social media that she forgot napkins and just wiped her hand on the American flag behind her. Charming.
The petition asks event organizers to "carefully consider" whether Mamdani's presence would actually align with the ceremony's purpose and the expectations of grieving families. That seems like a pretty reasonable request when your mayor's track record looks like this.
Conservative actor James Woods also chimed in during an appearance on Benny Johnson's podcast, asking the question on everyone's mind: "Is Mamdani gonna go speak at the World Trade Center site?" Look, the 25th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on American soil is supposed to be about remembrance and honoring the fallen. Whether Mamdani should attend is apparently now a debate with over 43,000 people weighing in on one side. Democracy in action, folks.
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