"Zohran Mamdani's election was not as surprising as his primary win in June, and since then, Republicans have had time to adjust to the idea of a young, charismatic idol espousing a new and exciting message for the Democratic Party. On Tuesday and Wednesday, though, instead of responding with new policy ideas to excite their own base, they mostly responded by returning to old territory: bald, ugly Islamophobia."
"The Republican Party, which is currently roiled by debates over whether it should embrace the neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes, has in recent months increasingly tolerated and even espoused forms of bigotry that had previously seemed to be in cultural retreat. The identity-focused response to Mamdani's historic campaign, fixated on his race and religion, is further proof that open racism has been normalized, and rhetoric that would have once pushed you to the margins of politics is now a route to advancement inside the MAGA movement."
Democrats won multiple high-profile races, including governors' mansions in Virginia and New Jersey, and statewide offices in Georgia, while Pennsylvania retained liberal justices and California backed redistricting. Zohran Mamdani won New York City's mayoralty, prompting intense reaction from Republicans on social media. Many Republican responses emphasized Mamdani's race and religion rather than offering policy alternatives, centering Islamophobic rhetoric. The Republican Party shows growing tolerance for bigotry, with some figures embracing exclusionary language and extremist alignment. Statements warning against Sharia law and rhetoric recalling post-9/11 framing of Islam illustrate a resurgence of identity-focused attacks.
Read at Slate Magazine
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