Congressman Brandon Gill has come under fire for a racist post targeting New York legislator Zohran Mamdani over a video of him eating biryani with his hands. The controversy continues to grow.
Texas Congressman Brandon Gill is once again facing sharp backlash online after making a racially charged comment aimed at New York's mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani. The Republican lawmaker from the state’s 26th District shared a video of Mamdani eating rice with his hands and made a remark that has since drawn wide condemnation across social media and political circles.
In his post on X (formerly Twitter), Gill wrote, “Civilized people in America don’t eat like this. If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World.” The video he commented on features Mamdani eating biryani with his hands during an interview, where he was also discussing his political views.
The Video and Its Context
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The clip originates from an interview in which Mamdani is shown eating while answering questions on sensitive political issues in the United States. The host asked about topics deemed "taboo" in American politics, including socialism, Islam, and support for Palestine.
Mamdani replied, “When you grow up in the Third World, you have a very different understanding of the Palestinian struggle.” Born in Kampala, Uganda, Mamdani moved to New York City when he was seven. His comments were contextualized by his upbringing and worldview shaped by growing up in the Global South.
The video was originally posted by the conservative account ‘End Wokeness’, with the caption, “Zohran says his worldview is inspired by the 3rd world while eating rice with his hands.” This framing quickly caught the attention of Gill, who retweeted the clip along with his now-controversial comment.
Pattern of Rhetoric
This isn’t the first time Congressman Gill has made headlines for controversial posts. Earlier in the month, he posted two images of Los Angeles, one from the 1960s showing white beachgoers and the other featuring a man holding a Mexican flag during the LA riots. He blamed mass immigration for making the country “unrecognisable.”
Gill's comments are widely seen as part of a broader pattern of using racially charged rhetoric to appeal to hardline conservative audiences online.
The Texas congressman’s statement has been met with sharp criticism from across the political spectrum. Many online users have slammed his remarks as racist and ignorant, pointing out that eating with hands is a deeply embedded tradition across several cultures, including South Asian, African, and Middle Eastern communities.
Supporters of Mamdani argue that Gill’s statement not only attacks personal identity but also reveals a cultural bias that sees Western norms as superior. Critics have also pointed out the irony in Gill’s attempt to label an elected American official as “uncivilized” for honoring cultural traditions.
Mamdani has not directly responded to Gill’s comment as of now. However, many of his supporters and fellow lawmakers have taken to social media in defense of his cultural expression and political work.
