New York Governor Kathy Hochul is facing criticism online after footage of her wearing a hijab during an appearance at an Islamic center began circulating on social media. The video quickly became ammunition for conservative accounts on X.
Conservative commentator Eric Daugherty shared the footage, calling the scene “TERRIFYING” and accusing Hochul of embracing “the very IDEOLOGY that TERRORIZED her OWN CITIZENS.” Within hours, the post accumulated more than 246,000 views and drew a flood of reactions, including fierce criticism of the governor.
At an event at the Islamic Cultural Center School in the Bronx with Muslim leaders, Governor Kathy Hochul is seen wearing a black hijab as she speaks to an audience. However, the controversy isn’t about what she said, but that she wore the hijab in the first place.
Several commenters invoked the September 11 attacks while criticizing Hochul’s decision to wear the hijab, despite the attacks having been carried out by al-Qaeda terrorists rather than representing Muslims broadly.
Hochul’s outreach to Muslim communities also has broader context. Earlier this year, she proclaimed January 2026 as New York’s first Muslim American Heritage Month, saying the state’s Muslim communities contribute to its culture, economy, and civic life.
Wearing a head covering while visiting an Islamic place of worship is also not unprecedented among American political figures and their families. That became one of the most common counterarguments beneath the viral post, particularly as users pointed toward a specific image of Ivanka Trump from 2020 where she wears a head covering while visiting a mosque in Abu Dhabi.
Comments and Reactions to Kathy Hochul Wearing a Hijab
The reactions quickly became much bigger than Hochul’s clothing, with one person writing, “I will NEVER Forget,” paired with an image of the World Trade Center being hit by the two airplanes.
Others commented on her personal motives, with someone else writing, “Why is she so desperate to support the Muslim people?? She wants to be assimilate to them and she wants to look like them. What is wrong with this woman. Nut job!”
Other commenters pushed back on the outrage by pointing to Republican political figures and their families who have also worn head coverings while visiting mosques, including Ivanka Trump during her 2020 visit to Abu Dhabi.
As the clip continues to go viral, more and more people are leaving their opinions and frustrations in the replies below the video itself on X.
