Rama Duwaji, wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is facing sharp criticism after a Fourth of July weekend trip to Mallorca, Spain, instead of attending the city’s America 250 celebrations. The trip quickly became a political flashpoint because it coincided with the nation’s semiquincentennial moment.
According to The New York Post, Duwaji was seen Monday at Newark International Airport before boarding a flight to Palma for a sold-out retreat run by The Women Sanctuary. The retreat’s website lists “Plants Of The Quran | 6th Edition” as one of its events, with a Mallorca program focused on plants mentioned in the Quran.
What the retreat included
| Event | Location | Focus | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plants Of The Quran | 6th Edition | Mallorca, Spain | Olives, pomegranates, dates and figs, plus workshops, meals and spiritual reflection | Sold out |
Councilwoman Joann Ariola, R-Queens, told The Post that the decision sent the wrong message during a major national milestone. “Nothing says ‘America 250’ quite like skipping the celebration for a Mediterranean vacation, but I am not surprised because she has made her hatred for America very evident,” she said.
Councilman Frank Morano, R-Staten Island, also weighed in and said family members of elected officials can travel, but should still recognize the importance of the occasion. He called it disappointing that the First Lady was overseas instead of appearing at one of the city’s biggest civic events of the year.
Morano also said the issue was not whether Duwaji was allowed to take a trip, but whether she should have shown up in the city during the 250th anniversary celebration. “No one is saying elected officials and their families can’t take vacations, but this was a moment to show up for the city and for the country, and she missed it,” he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office for comment and did not immediately hear back. Mamdani’s office told The Post that Duwaji was not accompanied by officers assigned to the couple’s taxpayer-funded NYPD detail.
Conservative commentator Arynne Wexler also posted photos of Duwaji at a United Airlines gate and criticized the timing of the trip on X. She linked the travel to Mamdani’s public remarks at home, including his July 3 speech marking the 250th anniversary of the United States at City Hall.
Mamdani stayed in New York City during the heat wave and the city’s America 250 events. His office said on July 1 that the city was expanding cooling centers, extending pool hours and asking businesses and New Yorkers to set thermostats to 78 degrees during peak demand.
The episode has become part of a larger debate around public symbolism, personal travel and how elected leaders and their families are expected to appear during major civic moments. In this case, the backlash has centered less on the legality of the trip than on the optics of leaving for Spain while the city marked a historic national milestone.
