New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared on major broadcast networks to condemn Immigration and Customs Enforcement, yet his earlier statement describing the war in Gaza as a genocide was absent from their coverage. The media attention shifted rapidly after an ICE shooting during an enforcement action in New York.
On the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, Mamdani issued a statement mourning the loss of life. He wrote that the suffering continued through what he called the Israeli government's devastating, ongoing genocide in Gaza. That same night, Mamdani attended a candlelight vigil in Union Square. Anti-Israel protesters booed and yelled at him, some holding Hamas and Hezbollah flags. They chanted that they charged him with genocide.
Two days later, on Friday, October 9, the "Today" show featured reporter Erin McLaughlin discussing the mayor's call for ICE to leave New York City. Mamdani appeared on the program, stating that he knows ICE is rotten to its core. ABC's "Good Morning America" also reported on his reaction, describing him as livid as he demanded ICE be removed from schools, hospitals, streets, and near children.
The source argues that this selection of quotes aligns with an anti-Trump agenda while omitting his comments on Israel. It notes that none of the networks focused on the controversy surrounding his October 7 statement. Instead, they highlighted his criticism of immigration enforcers.
Earlier coverage of the anniversary itself varied across outlets. CBS Mornings anchor Gayle King noted that Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages. She added that Israel's military offensive in Gaza killed more than 70,000 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The source criticizes this framing as presenting moral equivalence between a terrorist group and a state.
ABC's "Good Morning America" devoted 75 seconds to the anniversary, focusing on allegations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was warned in advance of the attacks. Foreign correspondent James Longman summarized claims that the UAE and Egyptian intelligence provided warnings that were not passed on. Netanyahu has called these claims lies and a smear campaign. He filed a defamation lawsuit against Israeli news outlets that published them.
National Public Radio led its homepage with a headline about Israelis grappling with reports that Netanyahu was warned. Reporters cited four anonymous sources with direct knowledge of the warnings. The source points out that the identities and motivations of these sources remain unknown to the public.
Evening newscasts on ABC, CBS, and NBC did not use Hamas body counts. ABC spent only 13 seconds on the subject. CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil mentioned subsequent antisemitic violence in Michigan, Washington, and Australia. The PBS News Hour devoted 13 minutes to the anniversary, featuring two men who lost family members on opposite sides of the war. They appeared at the 92nd Street Y in New York to reject hate.