Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday night, calling the fellow Democrat a “clown” and accusing him of pandering to anti-Israel activists after Mamdani suggested Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could face arrest if he entered New York City.
Appearing on Fox News’ Hannity, Fetterman argued that the Democratic Party has increasingly moved toward a more hostile posture on Israel, pointing to recent progressive primary victories as evidence of what he described as a growing trend within the party.
“I’ve been warning for years that the Democratic Party is going to continue to be more and more anti-Israel,” Fetterman said during the interview.
He continued by criticizing several progressive candidates who have won recent primaries.
“Now people like, whether Mamdani or some of the other freak shows that are winning some of these primaries, are now hostile and intensely anti-Israel, you know, really just raging anti-semitism in a lot of the statements that these people have made right now,” Fetterman said.
The senator’s remarks came after Mamdani suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be arrested if he came to New York City, referencing an International Criminal Court warrant. According to the article, Mamdani later backed away from that suggestion after determining there was no lawful basis for such an arrest.
Fetterman dismissed the idea outright, arguing that the mayor does not possess such authority.
“You are a mayor, dude, you’re a mayor,” Fetterman said. “You can fix a pothole, you can take out the trash, but you can’t order people to arrest anybody any more than I could have him arrested if he goes to Pennsylvania. It’s a joke. And he’s a clown.”
The Pennsylvania Democrat also criticized Mamdani’s reported statement that Netanyahu “is not welcome in New York,” contending that elected officials cannot determine who is permitted to enter another jurisdiction.
Continuing his criticism, Fetterman urged the mayor to focus on his own responsibilities rather than making statements about international leaders.
“Sit down,” Fetterman said. “You know, you’re a clown and you are just going to pander to the fringe, and that’s part of your base.”
Fetterman also took aim at what he characterized as Mamdani’s pattern of criticism regarding the Middle East conflict.
“And I know you’re angry at Netanyahu because he killed a lot of people you admire, whether, like, it’s [former head of Hamas in Gaza Yahya] Sinwar or [former secretary-general of Hezbollah Hassan] Nasrallah or [late ayatollah] Ali Khamenei in Iran,” Fetterman said.
The senator further argued that he has not heard Mamdani publicly criticize Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran.
Instead, Fetterman claimed the mayor has directed his criticism solely at Israel and Netanyahu, saying he has “never heard the mayor” condemn those groups or Iran while consistently focusing his criticism on the Israeli government.
The exchange underscores the continuing divisions within the Democratic Party over Israel, as lawmakers and elected officials have increasingly found themselves at odds over the conflict in the Middle East and the rhetoric surrounding it. Fetterman, who has consistently voiced strong support for Israel, used the interview to reiterate his concerns that elements within his own party are becoming increasingly hostile toward the U.S. ally while criticizing Mamdani’s comments as political pandering rather than a reflection of legal authority.
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