Overview

• Governor Kathy Hochul wore a headscarf at Officer Didarul Islam’s funeral to honor his Muslim faith and said respecting a grieving family’s customs is basic decency.
• Sen. Ted Cruz posted “Um, wut?” on X in response to Hochul’s gesture and later quipped that she should wear a hijab every day.
• The Council on American-Islamic Relations called Cruz’s comments despicable and urged him to apologize to both Hochul and the officer’s family.
• Fact-checkers highlighted that Cruz previously wore a yarmulke during a 2016 campaign visit to a Brooklyn Jewish center, drawing accusations of hypocrisy.
• The public dispute remains unresolved, with Cruz yet to retract his remarks and ongoing debate over respect for religious customs in political life.