New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul was criticized by conservatives after she wore a hijab during an appearance at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York.
A video showing Hochul wearing a black hijab went viral on X on Sunday, two days after the governor delivered remarks at the Islamic Cultural Center School in the Bronx.
The far-right account “End Wokeness” posted the clip, which had amassed more than 4 million views by Sunday afternoon. In its caption, the account questioned Hochul’s status as a “feminist icon,” despite her record of advocating for women’s rights and feminist causes.
The criticism likely referred to Hochul’s comments in 2023, when she said she “very much” identified as a feminist after being asked whether the label described her. At the time, Hochul said she understood “what it’s like to struggle” and emphasized that being a woman had shaped some of those experiences.
You can see footage of Hochul's appearance in the video below.
Soon afterward, failed Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt posted a similar sarcastic message on social media, urging Hochul to "slay, kween."
Newsmax host Rob Schmitt suggested Hochul had "subjugated" herself by choosing to appear at the event:
"Yes hide your hair. Subjugate yourself to Islam and men. It’s your job as a woman to make sure men don’t see any sexuality in you."
Additionally, former competitive swimmer turned Fox News darling Riley Gaines called out the irony of "a self-described feminist voluntarily wearing a hijab to not offend/arouse Muslim men."
And let's not forget conservative voice Priya Patel, who said Hochul is representative of feminists who "constantly succumb to the will of unvirtuous men who have no respect for them and constantly wish to demean them."
Others have defended Hochul in return.
The conservative outrage mirrors a controversy last year, when the New York governor had to defend herself from criticisms after choosing to wear a headscarf to the funeral of a fallen Muslim police officer.
At the time, members of the NYPD shouldered the casket of Officer Didarul Islam, who was one of four people killed in a mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan. The gunman, who had intended to attack NFL headquarters, killed himself at the scene.
When social media users circulated a photo of Hochul wearing a headscarf at Islam's funeral, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz retweeted the image, captioning it with "Um, wut?" to express his disapproval. Cruz followed up with an odd response accusing Hochul of not caring about the rights of women in New York by choosing to wear a headscarf.
Hochul responded that "Respecting a grieving family’s faith is 'wut' leaders and anyone with basic decency would do." Her supporters pointed out that politicians have long accommodated different religious customs when visiting houses of worship.
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