New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani identified as both Asian and African American on his 2009 Columbia University application, the New York Times reported Thursday, prompting anger and ridicule from many as news spread Friday. Some accused him of being a fraud while others suggested he was trying to abuse affirmative action.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries refused to delve into the controversy surrounding socialist New York mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani’s description of himself as “black or African American” on his application for Columbia University in 2009.