Co-creator of 'Hot Girls for Zohran' pushed anti-Israel, 9/11 conspiracy theories

Kaif Gilani, who co-founded the viral campaign, promoted false claims about Israel's involvement in major events

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Kaif Gilani, the co-founder of the popular 'Hot Girls for Zohran' social media campaign, promoted wild anti-Israel conspiracy theories online, including claims that Israel was involved in the 9/11 attacks and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Gilani shared posts from known Holocaust denier Ian Carroll that made these baseless allegations.

Why it matters

The revelations about Gilani's promotion of conspiracy theories raise concerns about the political movement he helped create, which gained significant attention and celebrity endorsements. It also highlights the spread of misinformation and extremist views on social media platforms.

The details

In January 2025, just months before launching 'Hot Girls for Zohran', Gilani shared a post from Carroll that bizarrely implicated the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in JFK's murder. Gilani also shared a post promoting the debunked 'dancing Israelis' conspiracy theory, which falsely claims Mossad agents had advance knowledge of the 9/11 attacks. In May, Gilani retweeted a post calling the phrase 'Israel has a right to exist' a 'racist, anti-Palestinian dog whistle'.

  • In January 2025, Gilani shared posts promoting anti-Israel conspiracy theories.
  • In May, Gilani retweeted a post criticizing the phrase 'Israel has a right to exist'.

The players

Kaif Gilani

The co-founder of the 'Hot Girls for Zohran' campaign, who promoted anti-Israel conspiracy theories online under the username @chunkyfila.

Ian Carroll

A known Holocaust denier whose posts Gilani shared, making false claims about Israel's involvement in major events.

Zohran Mamdani

The mayoral candidate whose campaign was boosted by the 'Hot Girls for Zohran' movement.

Brad Lander

A former New York City Comptroller whose congressional campaign paid Gilani's firm, Brain Child LLC, to work on its website and social media.

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What they’re saying

“AIPAC purchased the seats of about 90% or more of our current congress. JFK famously wanted them registered as a foreign agent right before he was shot.”

— Ian Carroll (X)

“We are told Israel is our 'greatest ally' so why would they have had a massive spy network targeting US government agencies leading up to sep 11, 2001.”

— Ian Carroll (X)

“'Israel has a right to exist' is a racist, anti-Palestinian dog whistle which implies the extermination of the Palestinian People”

— Kaif Gilani (X)

The takeaway

The revelations about Gilani's promotion of conspiracy theories raise concerns about the political movement he helped create, which gained significant attention and celebrity endorsements. It highlights the spread of misinformation and extremist views on social media platforms, and the need for greater scrutiny of the backgrounds and views of those involved in political campaigns.