Archive · 16 Aug 2026
Silent wives of politicians become targets of national controversies
Two women, Sarah Jukaku and Rama Duwaji, are married to politicians.
People on TV and the internet started talking about them a lot, but the women themselves didn't say much.
Sarah's picture was put next to the president's wife in a post by Donald Trump.
People also talked about her doctor's office and whether it takes insurance.
Rama's old posts and likes on social media were looked at by reporters.
She said she was sorry about things she wrote when she was a teenager.
Their husbands spoke up to defend them.
Some people think it's not fair that these women are being talked about so much.
Others think they should be watched closely because they are married to important people.
The women mostly stayed quiet, which made people wonder why.
This shows how hard it can be for women connected to politics.
Sarah Jukaku, wife of Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, was featured in a Donald Trump Truth Social graphic contrasting her hijab with Melania Trump.
Jukaku's private Ann Arbor psychiatry practice, Mind Work Psychiatry, does not accept Medicare or insurance; her clinic removed an FAQ line and briefly took its website private amid scrutiny.
Rama Duwaji, wife of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, faced scrutiny over old social media posts and Instagram likes from October 2023 related to the Hamas attack.
Duwaji responded once, expressing shame over 'old tweets I wrote as a teenager,' but did not address the 2023 Instagram activity.
Both women rarely speak publicly, with their husbands defending them, raising questions about media scrutiny and the 'double bind' facing women in public life.
El-Sayed responded to Trump's post on CNN's State of the Union, saying 'Yeah, he's right,' reframing the graphic to contrast billionaires with a loving family.
- Who
- Sarah Jukaku, wife of Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, and Rama Duwaji, wife of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani
- What
- Both women became the center of national political controversies without speaking publicly themselves
- When
- On 9 August, Donald Trump posted the graphic featuring Jukaku; Duwaji has faced scrutiny since last year
- Where
- United States, involving Michigan and New York
- Why
- Their husbands' political campaigns and media scrutiny of their pasts and practices drew them into national debates
Critics of the scrutiny
Supporters of the scrutiny
Media scrutiny of spouses
Critics of the scrutiny
The women are being unfairly scrutinized and turned into political ammunition without being able to speak for themselves; their silence is a product of campaigns and media economy.
Supporters of the scrutiny
As spouses of prominent politicians, they 'deserve a lot' of scrutiny, as argued by Dr Phil regarding Duwaji's position as the mayor's wife.
Jukaku's Medicare opt-out
Critics of the scrutiny
The scrutiny of Jukaku's practice was aimed at turning it into ammunition against her husband's Medicare for All campaign, ignoring her own voice.
Supporters of the scrutiny
The practice's refusal to accept Medicare or insurance is relevant to El-Sayed's healthcare platform and raises questions of hypocrisy.
Duwaji's social media activity
Critics of the scrutiny
Mamdani was drawing lines between personal and professional; Duwaji is a private person who deserves to be known on her own terms.
Supporters of the scrutiny
Some accused Mamdani of discarding a Palestinian voice for political cover regarding the Susan Abulhawa controversy.
- Sarah Jukaku's role
- Wife of Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed; runs Mind Work Psychiatry in Ann Arbor
- Jukaku's practice
- Does not accept Medicare, Medicaid, or any insurance; patients pay out of pocket
- Trump's post
- Posted on Truth Social on 9 August, contrasting Jukaku and El-Sayed with Trump and Melania
- Rama Duwaji's role
- Wife of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani; an artist
- Duwaji's response
- Expressed shame over 'old tweets I wrote as a teenager' in a statement to Hyperallergic
- El-Sayed's response
- On CNN's State of the Union, said 'Yeah, he's right' about Trump's post
- Mamdani's defense
- Called Duwaji 'the love of my life' and 'a private person' with no formal campaign position