US Senator John Fetterman criticised New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani after Mamdani said he would seek to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited the city. Fetterman called Mamdani a “clown”, highlighting sharp divisions among Democrats over Israel’s war in Gaza and the role of international law.

Mamdani’s remarks referred to the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, which Israel disputes. The United States is not a party to the ICC, and the practical legal basis for a New York mayor to carry out such an arrest would be uncertain; Mamdani nevertheless said the city should comply with the warrant.