Fetterman calls Mamdani "just a clown" over the arrest threat
John FettermanU.S. Senator (D-Pa.), on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures"
Sen. John Fetterman, speaking on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," said Mamdani had "no way" to arrest Netanyahu, noted that the United States is not part of the International Criminal Court, and called Mamdani "just a clown" for suggesting it. He told the mayor to focus on New York's problems.
“Well, it's such a tough guy to say that kind of thing. He has no way to do that. Obviously, America's not even part of that corrupt court, and so he's just a clown to even say that. So he won't try that. And now, just sit down and focus on the problems that they have in New York. That's really not your purview.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Is Mamdani's campaign against Netanyahu's UN visit fomenting hate, or is it accountability for war crimes?
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has repeatedly called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "war criminal" and the "architect" of what he calls a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, citing the International Criminal Court's 2024 arrest warrant against Netanyahu. In July 2026, Mamdani said his administration had reviewed the law and concluded New York City lacks independent legal authority to execute the warrant, and called on the federal government to do so instead. Netanyahu has responded by accusing Mamdani of "fomenting hate" and, more recently, of supporting Hamas and inciting unrest against Jewish New Yorkers, citing a stabbing of a Jewish man in an Upper West Side attack. The dispute has continued through September 2026 as Netanyahu traveled to New York for the UN General Assembly, with Israeli officials accusing Mamdani of inciting chaos and Mamdani declining to join planned protests against Netanyahu while maintaining his position on the arrest warrant.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
New York Post report, republished by AOL, quoting Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" calling Mamdani "just a clown" for exploring whether he could arrest Netanyahu and saying the mayor has "no way to do that."
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The remarks followed Mamdani's statements that his administration was reviewing whether it could arrest Netanyahu during a UN visit.
After the quotation
Fetterman is a Democrat, notable given most of the direct criticism of Mamdani in this dispute has come from Israeli officials and Republicans.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Fetterman directly mocks and dismisses Mamdani's arrest threat as baseless, condemning the conduct.
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- People and groups discussed
- Zohran Mamdani
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The Dispute Index. "Fetterman calls Mamdani "just a clown" over the arrest threat". First published: 2026-09-22. Last updated: 2026-09-25. https://disputeindex.com/events/1522-sen-john-fetterman-speaking-on-fox-news-sunday