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2w ago

Hochul Wears Headscarf at NYC Islamic Center, Drawing Sharp Conservative Backlash

The episode has become a partisan flashpoint that highlights clashes over religious etiquette, 9/11 timing and how viral posts reshape political fights.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: The Tribute to Light rises over lower Manhattan as people gather on the Brooklyn promenade on September 11, 2021 in New York City. The nation is marking the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, when the terrorist group al-Qaeda flew hijacked airplanes into the World Trade Center, Shanksville, PA and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3,000 people. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 12: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul listens as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during the annual New York State Financial Control Board meeting on August 12, 2026 in New York City. Hochul was joined by Mamdani, State Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli, New York City Comptroller Mark Levine and other board members as they discussed the state's budget. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • On Friday, Aug. 28, Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke inside the Islamic Cultural Center of New York and covered her head while addressing worshippers in the mosque’s prayer hall.
  • Conservative commentators, influencers and Republican officials quickly amplified photos and video, and President Trump posted on Truth Social accusing Hochul of courting Arab voters.
  • Fact-checkers including Snopes reviewed the images and concluded Hochul wore a headscarf with some hair visible rather than a traditional hijab, and the center itself posted about her visit.
  • Critics seized on the visit’s proximity to the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and cited past occasions when Hochul covered her head at Muslim events to argue the gesture was political pandering.
  • The episode has produced local political fallout, with Republican candidates and some media driving the story while Muslim community leaders have denounced Islamophobic framing and urged respect for religious customs.