Has Zohran Mamdani issued a written apology or retraction regarding his 9/11 comments and when?

1. The remark that started the uproar — what he said and why it mattered

Mamdani delivered an emotional speech recounting that Muslim New Yorkers, including an “aunt,” lived in fear and humiliation after the September 11, 2001 attacks — an anecdote framed to illustrate post‑9/11 Islamophobia — and that remark became a focal point for critics who said he was misstating facts or fabricating the story ^[1]. Conservative voices and opponents seized on the line as evidence of political opportunism; the reaction included national figures mocking the remark on social platforms, illustrating how personal anecdotes can become potent political ammunition in a heated mayoral race ^{[1] [5]}.

2. Pushback and online “busting” — versions of the correction

After social media users dug up a photograph and public records suggesting the relative Mamdani referenced did not live in New York after 9/11, reporters and outlets documented the backlash and said the campaign was forced into “damage control.” Multiple outlets report Mamdani “clarified he wasn’t referring to a biological aunt” and later said he meant a more distant relative — described in at least one account as a cousin — but the campaign did not provide full identifying details for that relative ^{[2] [3]}. Those accounts frame the development as a clarification, not an explicit full retraction or formal written apology ^{[2] [3]}.

3. What Mamdani himself said in public follow‑ups

In broader post‑campaign interviews and coverage, Zohran Mamdani emphasized he would not apologize for his political slate or many of his positions; The New York Times quoted him saying, “I refuse to apologize for any of this,” in the wake of electoral attacks on his faith and politics ^[4]. Separately, some reporting indicates he told officers he “owed officers an apology” in a different context about public safety proposals — showing he has at times expressed conciliatory language depending on the audience and topic — but that cited remark appears unrelated to the 9/11 anecdote ^[6]. Available sources do not say he issued a written apology or formal retraction specifically about his 9/11 anecdote ^{[4] [6]}.

4. Competing narratives and political incentives

Conservative outlets and opinion writers used the 9/11 anecdote to portray Mamdani as dishonest or out of touch; some opinion pieces escalated to broader accusations tying him to controversial figures or positions, which the critics say validate the criticism over the anecdote ^{[7] [8]}. By contrast, human‑interest reporting and outlets sympathetic to concerns about Islamophobia framed the anecdote as part of a larger point about post‑9/11 anti‑Muslim experiences, while also noting that opponents weaponized that personal story ^[1]. This illustrates a classic political dynamic: opponents highlight inconsistencies to undermine credibility, while supporters emphasize the underlying issue (Islamophobia) that the anecdote was intended to illuminate ^{[1] [7]}.

5. What the available record does — and does not — show

The assembled reporting documents the initial anecdote, the social‑media fact‑checking, and a campaign clarification that Mamdani was not referring to a biological aunt but rather a more distant relative, but none of the provided sources reports a formal written apology or full retraction by Mamdani over the 9/11 comment ^{[2] [3] [1]}. If you are seeking a precise date and text of a written apology or retraction, those items are not found in the current set of sources: available sources do not mention a written apology or retraction specific to the 9/11 anecdote ^{[2] [3] [1]}.

6. How to follow up if you need confirmation

To confirm whether a later written apology or retraction was issued after these reports, check primary outlets’ subsequent updates (The New York Times and direct campaign statements), the candidate’s official X/Twitter feed or campaign press releases, and authoritative fact‑checks that track corrections. The sources provided here document clarification and controversy but stop short of showing a formal, dated written apology or retraction ^{[2] [3] [4]}.