California Governor Gavin Newsom lashed out Thursday at Tommy Tuberville after the Alabama Republican shared a controversial social media post linking a New York City Ramadan event to the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The dispute began when Tuberville reposted an image on twitter showing a split-screen comparison: one side depicting the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the other showing Zohran Mamdani participating in a Ramadan iftar celebration. Tuberville added the caption: “The enemy is inside the gates.”
The enemy is inside the gates. https://t.co/YSNHIpDnds
— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) March 12, 2026
Newsom responded quickly on the same platform, unleashing a blunt personal attack on the senator.
“Tommy Tuberville proves to the world that a football hitting your head can turn you into a racist piece of shit. Congrats, Tommy.”
Tommy Tuberville proves to the world that a football hitting your head can turn you into a racist piece of shit. Congrats, Tommy. https://t.co/KLdG04vpwx
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 12, 2026
The confrontation stems from recent events involving Mamdani, who is Muslim and has hosted iftar meals—the traditional evening breaking of the fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan—at New York City Hall.
One such gathering included activist Mahmoud Khalil and his family at Gracie Mansion. Khalil, a former Columbia University student activist, previously commented on the October 7 attack by Hamas, describing it as “an unavoidable moment in the Palestinian struggle” and a “desperate attempt to show the world that Palestinians remain part of the political equation.”
In a later interview, Khalil declined to condemn Hamas, saying that demands for such condemnation were disingenuous.
Mamdani has defended hosting the iftar gatherings and pushed back against the criticism. He argued that political leaders in Washington should focus more on domestic concerns, saying he wished politicians showed the same outrage about children going hungry as they do about him sharing a meal with New Yorkers.
The online clash between Newsom and Tuberville quickly spread across social media and cable news, drawing reactions from figures across the political spectrum.
Several Democrats condemned Tuberville’s post as inflammatory or bigoted, while supporters of the senator defended the message as a warning about national security and political extremism, doubling down on his message.
To be clear, I didn’t “suggest” Islamists are the enemy.
I said it plainly. https://t.co/3D6RK9LTbO
— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) March 12, 2026
Tuberville also retweeted a message taking on the criticism that criticism of Islam is “racist.”
It is not "racist" to say radical Islam isn't compatible with America because radical Islam isn't a race. It's an ideology. And that ideology does not mesh with Western values.
This is just a fact.
— Damani Felder (@TheDamaniFelder) March 13, 2026
The complaints came on the same day that an allegedly Hezbollah-connected Muslim attacked a Jewish preschool in Michigan and an Islamic radical tried to perform a mass shooting at Old Dominion University. Both were stopped, but one victim in Virginia died after confronting the attacker.
[Read More: New Ayatollah Not Doing So Well]
