CNN Host Issues Correction After Falsely Claiming Alleged ISIS-Inspired Attack Targeted Zohran Mamdani

“CNN NewsNight” host Abby Phillip apologized Wednesday for claiming that an alleged Saturday ISIS-inspired terrorist attack targeted Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City.

Officers from the New York Police Department took 19-year-old Ibraham Kayumi and 18-year-old Emir Balat into custody Saturday after they threw a device with the explosive compound Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) at a protest led by activist Jake Lang. During Tuesday’s episode of “CNN NewsNight,” Phillip claimed the attack targeted the first Muslim mayor of New York City.

“Two Republicans say Muslims don’t belong here after an attempted terror attack against New York’s Mayor Zoran Mamdani, and the House speaker, Mike Johnson, says nothing really to condemn those comments,” Phillip said, referencing comments made on social media by Republican Reps. Randy Fine of Florida and Andy Ogles of Tennessee.

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Video of the incident appears to show Balat shouting “Allahu akbar” as he threw the improvised explosive device. The Department of Justice is investigating the attack, which is says targeted the protest led by Lang.

TATP had been used in previous terrorist attacks, including a 2017