Mamdani denies wife will get NYPD protection on Syria, Lebanon trip after aide said otherwise

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated on Tuesday that his wife, Rama Duwaji, will not receive NYPD protection during her upcoming trip to Syria and Lebanon. This clarification followed an earlier statement from his office, which claimed the NYPD had "strongly" recommended an escort. The NYPD publicly contradicted City Hall, stating, "The NYPD does not send officers to countries with level four travel advisories for discretionary reasons not linked to investigative work." Both Syria and Lebanon are on the U.S. State Department’s Level 4 "Do Not Travel" list. The conflicting reports sparked criticism regarding taxpayer-funded security for a private trip and concerns about sending officers to high-risk areas.