U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin speaks during a press conference hosted with Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on unaccompanied minors and prosecuting their sponsors, at the Justice Department, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 11, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
The Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin faced criticism after attacking New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a press conference.
Mullin said neither gets along, and added, "It's shameful, and hopefully people in New York will wise up and get a true leader in there in a few years."
Critics quickly highlighted the irony of an Oklahoma-based federal official attempting to influence New York City elections regarding its highly popular mayor.
Reactions poured into social media.
"Nothing like an Oklahoman with no ties to New York City trying to tell the city what to think about its highly popular mayor," wrote Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, senior fellow at the American Immigration Council.
"New Yorkers definitely want a plumber from Oklahoma telling them what to do," journalist John Harwood wrote.
"The leader of American Gestapo is both dumb as a rock and purely evil," Norman Ornstein, political scientist and contributing editor for The Atlantic, posted.
The controversy was amplified by reports stating Trump and Mamdani maintain a friendly relationship, texting at least twice weekly.
Watch the video below.