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Viral Video Stirs Controversy
This story is part of Fox News Digital’s investigative series Campus Radicals.
Social media erupted with outrage over a resurfaced video of Mahmood Mamdani, the father of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. The clip features Mamdani controversially claiming that Adolf Hitler drew inspiration from President Abraham Lincoln. With the city’s election approaching on Tuesday, this statement has gained significant attention.
In the video, which an online editor shared on X, Mamdani asserts, “Hitler learned genocide from Abraham Lincoln.” This assertion has sparked fierce criticism from conservatives and social commentators alike, generating over 10 million views during the weekend.
Context of the Controversy
The clip was extracted from a panel discussion hosted by the Asia Society in 2022. During this discussion, Mahmood Mamdani, a Columbia University professor, asserted that America represents the beginning of what is now recognized as settler colonialism worldwide. In his words, America is implicated as the root of severe global issues.
Mamdani elaborated on Lincoln’s policies regarding Native Americans, noting that during the Civil War, Lincoln formalized the reallocation of American Indians into separate territories. He argued that for the Nazis, this practice served as a psychological and operational framework, stating that Hitler realized two major insights: genocide is achievable, and that a common citizenship is not a prerequisite for such acts.
Responses from the Public
The claims made by Mamdani have not gone unnoticed. Strong pushback erupted from various conservative figures online. Popular political commentator Dave Rubin labeled the statements as “one of the most insane things I’ve ever heard,
