New York Governor Kathy Hochul has faced criticism from Republicans and conservative commentators after wearing a black headscarf while speaking at a Queens Islamic centre on a Friday, less than a fortnight before the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks. It is the second time she has worn a hijab in public after doing so at the funeral of murdered NYPD officer Didarul Islam in 2025, an occasion that also prompted a public clash with Senator Ted Cruz. Critics, including her Republican gubernatorial rival, argue the gesture is politically calculated and poorly timed given the proximity to the anniversary.

Hochul attended the Islamic Cultural Center of New York's weekly Jummah prayer service, thanking Kuwait's UN representative Tareq Albanai for inviting her, and the centre praised her visit as recognition of its community role. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is challenging Hochul in November's election, called the appearance "tone-deaf", while commentators including Scott Jennings and Riley Gaines mocked the move as inconsistent with her feminist credentials. A recent Red Oak Strategic poll for a pro-Blakeman group shows Hochul leading Blakeman by only four points (47-43), with just 38% viewing her favourably against 58% unfavourably, and she trails him by 21 points among independent voters.