Sid Rosenberg apologizes for hateful remarks about NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani

Radio host Sid Rosenberg apologized Wednesday for hateful remarks he made about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.   

In a post on social media Monday, Rosenberg called Mamdani an "America hating, Jew hating, Radical Islam cockroach running our once beautiful city." 

Rosenberg made the comments while calling on President Trump to stop complimenting the mayor. 

Rosenberg has since taken down the post. 

Mamdani's reaction

Mamdani addressed the remarks Tuesday. 

"Muslims in this city for almost as long as we have been in this city have had to deal with those with power and platform dehumanizing us. And to be called animals, insects, to be called a jihadist mayor, to be called a cockroach, this language is both painfully familiar to me as a Muslim New Yorker, but also as someone who was born in East Africa," Mamdani said. "Is is difficult to hear, but there is a reminder that the silence that often greets this kind of bigotry, this kind of Islamophobia is what allows it to fester, the temptation to treat it as politics as usual ... I am not ashamed of who I am. I am not ashamed of my faith. I am not ashamed of being the first Muslim mayor in the history of our city. And there's no amount of racism that will change that I lead or the commitment that I hold to each and every New Yorker in this city. " 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and City Council Speaker Julie Menin were among those who denounced Rosenberg's comments. Schumer said the remarks were "dangerous and dehumanizing" and "a disgusting display of bigotry and Islamophobia that should receive universal condemnation." Tisch called the remarks "inappropriate and deeply harmful." Menin called them "beyond the pale." The Council on American-Islamic Relations called them "vile" and "unacceptable." 

Rosenberg's apology

"I was compelled to send out a tweet that was a bit over the top. So I made my apology to the mayor this morning. I was sincere about it. Him and anybody else ... I may have offended, and I meant it. I will still continue to criticize the policies of the politicians that I believe make our lives in New York more difficult, if not dangerous. That's not going to stop," Rosenberg said. "But every now and then, you've got to step back and say OK, maybe this time, a little bit much." 

"Personal attacks on individuals is not acceptable at WABC. We are glad Sid Rosenberg, a good friend, agrees and acknowledges WABC's policies. WABC does not want personal attacks on any individuals. Disagree with policies, disagree with opinions. That is fine. That is what talk radio is all about. That is good for America to have opinions and disagreements and healthy conversations when we do disagree. And at the end of the day, we are all Americans," WABC CEO John Catsimatidis said.