New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani—whose reluctance to fully condemn the antisemitic slogan ‘globalize the intifada’ has already drawn fierce criticism—saw a top appointee resign after just one day when decade-old social media posts laced with anti-Jewish tropes resurfaced.
Mamdani’s ability to weed out Israel haters from his list of appointees is going to be difficult, given his close associations with individuals who share the same belief. Enter Catherine Almonte Da Costa.
Da Costa resigned from her newly appointed role overseeing appointments and talent recruitment in Mamdani’s administration, just one day after the position was announced. You read that correctly, the person in charge of appointments had to quit her appointed position.
The swift departure stemmed from the resurfacing—prompted by the Anti-Defamation League—of social media posts from 2011–2012 that invoked classic antisemitic tropes, including references to “money hungry Jews” and demeaning comments about Jewish people.
Yikes. even Ilhan Omar thinks that’s a little too on-the-button.
“Far Rockaway train is the Jew train,” another post read.
Da Costa scrubbed her X account, but the damage was done.
Meet Catherine Almonte Da Costa, Zohran Mamdani’s pick for Director of Appointments in his new administration:
– “Jew train”
– “money hungry Jews”
– “rich Jewish peeps”After her old posts resurfaced, she thankfully resigned this afternoon and says she is a mother to Jewish… pic.twitter.com/pNL1C9I2vH
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) December 18, 2025
READ MORE: ‘Politically Toxic’: Dems Already in Panic Mode As GOP Plans to Make Mamdani Face of Their Party Revealed
Good Luck With That – New Poll Shows New Yorkers Think Mamdani Might Not Be So Bad After All
The Madani appointee apologized for the overtly antisemitic posts and said they do not reflect the person she has become.
“As the mother of Jewish children, I feel a profound sense of sadness and remorse at the harm these words have caused,” she said in a statement. “As this has become a distraction from the work at hand, I have offered my resignation.”
A spokesman for the mayor-elect tells ABC News that he accepted Da Costa’s resignation.
“Catherine expressed her deep remorse over her past statements and tendered her resignation, and I accepted,” Mamdani said.
It seemed like only the day before that he was celebrating her appointment and welcoming her to “a new era” in New York City. Oh, wait, that’s because it was the day before.
Mamdani posted this *yesterday.*
“Welcome to A New Era, Catherine Almonte Da Costa!
Cat’s spent over a decade in public service and personnel management… Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, she’s joining us… to bring top talent into this administration.” pic.twitter.com/scchMfIdkZ
— Oren Kessler (@OrenKessler) December 19, 2025
Mamdani refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” for months during his campaign, but later said he would discourage others from using it.
This is obviously an embarrassment for Mamdani’s transition, for an incoming administration that can ill afford to slack off in the vetting department, especially being already under heavy watch from Jewish organizations.
It is an oversight for a man who holds significant pro-Palestinian views and a strong tolerance for controversial rhetoric. The odds of Da Costa being the only Mamdani appointee with a controversial past are near zero. Will there be more resignations down the line?
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