Radio Host Sid Rosenberg Apologizes to Mayor Mamdani
Radio Host Sid Rosenberg Apologizes for Offensive Remarks About NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani
Radio host Sid Rosenberg issued an apology Wednesday after making offensive comments about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on social media earlier in the week.
In a post shared Monday, Rosenberg referred to Mamdani as an “America-hating, Jew-hating, radical Islam cockroach running our once beautiful city” while urging President Trump to stop praising the mayor. The post was later deleted.
Mamdani Responds
Mayor Mamdani addressed the remarks on Tuesday, calling attention to the broader pattern of discrimination faced by Muslims in public life.
“Muslims in this city, for almost as long as we have been here, have had to deal with people in power dehumanizing us,” Mamdani said. “To be called animals, insects, a jihadist mayor, or a cockroach — that language is painfully familiar to me as a Muslim New Yorker and as someone born in East Africa.”
He added that such rhetoric reflects a longstanding problem of Islamophobia and emphasized that he would not be deterred by personal attacks.
“I am not ashamed of who I am. I am not ashamed of my faith,” Mamdani said. “I am proud to be the first Muslim mayor in the history of our city, and no amount of racism will change my commitment to serving every New Yorker.”
Public Officials Condemn Comments
Several prominent officials denounced Rosenberg’s remarks. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the comments “dangerous and dehumanizing” and described them as “a disgusting display of bigotry and Islamophobia that should be universally condemned.”
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the remarks as “inappropriate and deeply harmful,” while City Council Speaker Julie Menin said the language was “beyond the pale.” The Council on American-Islamic Relations also condemned the statements as “vile” and “unacceptable.”
Rosenberg Issues Apology
Rosenberg said he had apologized directly to the mayor and anyone else offended by his comments.
“I was compelled to send out a tweet that was a bit over the top,” Rosenberg said. “I made my apology to the mayor this morning, and I meant it. I’ll continue to criticize policies that I believe make life in New York more difficult or dangerous, but sometimes you have to step back and admit when something went too far.”
WABC CEO John Catsimatidis also addressed the situation, reiterating the station’s stance against personal attacks.
“Personal attacks on individuals are not acceptable at WABC,” Catsimatidis said. “We’re glad Sid Rosenberg acknowledges our policies. Disagreeing with policies and opinions is part of healthy public debate, but personal attacks cross the line.”
