Debra Messing Slammed for Sharing Meme Labeling Zohran Mamdani a 'Jihadist' on Election Day

Debra Messing, an Emmy-winning actress known for her lead role in Will & Grace, is at the center of online uproar after sharing a meme on Instagram that appeared to label New York City mayoral candidate, and now winner, Zohran Mamdani a "jihadist," which, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is a term "used to refer to a Muslim extremist."

via: EW

As Americans headed to the polls Tuesday, the 57-year-old Emmy winner reposted an image on her verified Instagram Story from another account called The Persian Jewess. The original image showed an edited ballot that listed two candidates: One that read, "A Democrat. Just a Democrat," and the other that said, "An actual communist jihadist. A literal Karl Marx-quoting, America-hating jihadist."

The Persian Jewess account initially shared the image with a caption that read, "This isn’t just a mayoral race. It’s the battle for Democracy itself. New York City, make the right choice. Vote for [Andrew] Cuomo. Vote for NYC. Vote for Democracy," and used the hashtag #ZohranMamdani at the end of the caption.

Messing received criticism on social media following the move, with many slamming her decision to share a post calling Mamdani — the son of Queen of Katwe and Mississippi Masala film director Mira Nair — as a jihadist, a term often used to describe those who violently defend Islamic ideals.

"I think Zohran has actually broken her brain," one user wrote of Messing on X. "Although it wasn’t in great shape before this mayoral election anyway. Fascinating albeit kinda scary to watch though."

On the same platform, writer Carey O'Donnell posted simply that he felt, "Debra Messing is a psychopath" in response to her online behavior.

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Messing and Mamdani for comment on the Instagram post.

In recent months, Mamdani has become a buzzy player in the New York City political sphere, with his experience and platform coming under fire from conservatives — including Donald Trump and the president's associates.

Trump even urged New Yorkers to vote for Cuomo, also a Democrat, in the mayoral race, and said during his Sunday evening interview on 60 Minutes that he'd rather vote for a "bad Democrat" over a "communist."

Mamdani, who's running as a Democrat, has also divided other public figures — including the cohosts of The View, who welcomed the 34-year-old to the Hot Topics table for an interview in early October.

Conservative panelist Alyssa Farah Griffin said on a prior episode that she was "nervous" about Mamdani potentially becoming mayor, and asked him why he thinks some top Democrats didn't endorse him throughout his campaign, and about being what she called a "poster child for the GOP" attacks on socialist-leaning politics.

"What I would say is that Donald Trump is going through the stages of grief. First, it was denial," Mamdani said of the race, and noted that he had the endorsement of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. "The fact that I wouldn't be sitting here with you if it was endorsements that made all the difference, it was the people of this city."

According to the Associated Press, if he wins Tuesday's election, Mamdani will "become the city’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor, and its youngest mayor in generations."