New York City’s Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani broke his silence on Sunday, one full day after protesters shouting “Allahu Akbar” tossed two homemade devices into a crowd, after the New York Police Department’s bomb squad confirmed that the devices were, in fact, lethal.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch issued a statement on Sunday declaring that the first device had been determined to be a lethal improvised explosive device (IED), and that further studies would be done to determine whether the same could be said of the second device.

“The NYPD Bomb Squad has conducted a preliminary analysis of a device that was ignited and deployed at a protest yesterday and has determined that it is not a hoax device or a smoke bomb,” Tisch stated. “It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death.”

Tisch said that the second device was still under investigation, and that “further analysis” was necessary.

“Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi were arrested on scene yesterday and are in custody in connection with this matter,” Tisch continued. “The NYPD is working on this investigation with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI through our Joint Terrorism Task Force. I want to again thank the brave members of the NYPD who ran towards the danger without hesitation and quickly apprehended the suspects.”

Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani also released a statement attempting to split the blame between the suspected bombers and the protesters they’d targeted.

“Yesterday, white supremacist Jake Lang organized a protest outside Gracie Mansion rooted in bigotry and racism,” Mamdani complained. “Such hate has no place in New York City. It is an affront to our city’s values and the unity that defines who we are.”

“What followed was even more disturbing. Violence at a protest is never acceptable. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are,” he continued. “I want to thank the brave men and women of the NYPD who acted quickly to keep New Yorkers safe. Our officers ran toward danger without hesitation, demonstrating once again the courage and dedication it takes to protect this city every single day. My administration is closely monitoring the situation and I remain in close contact with our Police Commissioner.”

There were two simultaneous and oppositional protests taking place in front of Gracie Mansion — one, led by January 6th defendant Jake Lang, was titled “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer” and drew a crowd of less than two dozen. The second protest, which drew over 100, was labeled “Run the Nazis out of New York City, Stand Against Hate.”

The two groups clashed despite being separated by law enforcement, resulting in one from Lang’s protest being arrested for using pepper spray against protesters from the other group. Tensions escalated further when Balat and Kayumi were arrested in connection with the homemade bombs.

Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) walked right int a rhetorical trap set by comedian and HBO host Bill Maher on Friday, criticizing a statement he believed came from President Donald Trump about the military action in Iran only to find out that it was former President Barack Obama who said it in defense of his own actions in Libya.

Schiff was clearly taken aback when Maher informed him the statement — regarding whether or not the administration could carry out military strikes without congressional approval — had come from the Obama administration regarding Libya, and quickly backpedaled.

WATCH:

Bill Maher sets up Sen. Adam Schiff by reading a vague quote justifying military action. Schiff blasts it as “totally vague,” assuming it’s about Trump’s Iran strikes.

Maher then reveals: “Okay, cause that’s from Obama about Libya.”pic.twitter.com/PqNdpCeDqA

— Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) March 7, 2026

“This statement from the administration: ‘The president had the constitutional authority to direct the use of military force because he could reasonably determine that such use of force was in the national interest.’ That’s too vague for you?” Maher asked Schiff.

“Totally vague,” Schiff agreed.

Maher dropped the other shoe then, saying, “OK. Because that’s from Obama about Libya.”

Schiff, obviously set back on his heels, scrambled to reassess and landed on Obama’s actions with regard to Syria. ”

Well, Obama made the argument, um, initially that he could go into Syria without an authorization,” the senator said while trying to gather himself, adding that he opposed the move.

“I and many others pushed back on that argument. Ultimately, he did not go forward with going after Assad — even though Assad was gassing his own people — because he thought he might lose the vote in Congress,” Schiff said. “But I respect the fact that, uh, that was important to [Obama], and the fact that he did not have the support of Congress meant that we weren’t going to go forward.”

Schiff opted not address the source of the initial statement — the action in Libya — where the Obama administration engaged in military action that lasted for months and was challenged by Congress as an “illegal” and “unauthorized” action. The House voted against authorizing the action in Libya in June of 2011, and a bipartisan group of ten House members filed suit against the Obama administration for bypassing Congress in order to pursue military action without approval.