‘He Was Leading Seniors To Their Fate’: Socialist Zohran Mamdani Minimizes Anti-Police Posts

Zoran Mamdani’s Debate Stance on NYPD Funding

Zoran Mamdani, who is running for mayor in New York City as a candidate for the Socialist Party, indicated during a recent debate that he would not pursue defunding the New York City Police Department (NYPD) if he wins in November.

This statement came after he was asked to address his 2020 social media comments where he labeled the NYPD as “racist” and “anti-gay.”

During the debate, Mamdani appeared to express support for law enforcement in New York and seemed to downplay his earlier critical comments about the police. He also took a swipe at former Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, whose approval ratings have since risen following the backlash against his handling of nursing home policies during the pandemic.

“Andrew Cuomo wants to bring up tweets from 2020, the same time he was letting elderly people die in nursing homes,” Mamdani said. “I want to work with police officers, not defund the NYPD. I want to ensure that when an officer joins the department, they’re ready to do their job,” he added.

At one point, the debate moderator reminded everyone that they were running out of time, prompting Mamdani to pause before coming back to his earlier comments.

Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in a Democratic primary earlier this year, interjected to reference Mamdani’s earlier statements about the police.

“It’s what you said. It’s your word,” Cuomo remarked.

In June 2020, Mamdani had stated that “We don’t need an investigation to know that the NYPD is racist, anti-gay, and a serious threat to public safety,” calling for a movement to defund the police amid widespread protests against police violence following George Floyd’s death.

Those social media posts came at a time of major anti-police demonstrations across various cities, including New York, which led to significant property damage and loss of life.

Meanwhile, Cuomo’s administration faced heavy criticism for a March 2020 health order that seemingly made nursing homes admit patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, which many believe contributed to the high number of deaths in those facilities.

The New York State Legislature later revealed that Cuomo had altered a report to undercount the actual number of nursing home fatalities due to the virus.