
Wary Democratic establishment keeping New York's Mamdani at arm's length
So far, they're mostly playing hard to get.
Why it matters: In their party's ongoing identity crisis, many Democrats have attacked or refused to endorse Mamdani to lead the nation's largest city, while others on the left have rallied around the 33-year-old political phenom.
The schism over Mamdani is a version of the turbulence Democrats are wrestling with nationwide, as progressives and some party operatives are increasingly frustrated by snubs from the establishment.
Driving the news: That divide was clear last week, when Mamdani visited D.C.
Most Democrats on Capitol Hill kept their distance, but dozens of progressive members of Congress greeted him enthusiastically at a breakfast arranged by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a fellow New Yorker.
Democratic leaders Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Chuck Schumer, both also from New York, have declined to endorse Mamdani. They've criticized his past refusal to condemn those who say "globalize the intifada" — a slogan that backs Palestinian uprisings against Israel and that some Jewish people see as antisemitic.
Mamdani also has accused Israel of conducting a "genocide" against Palestine, another reason some Democratic leaders have kept their distance from him.
Jeffries did meet with Mamdani in New York on Friday but declined to endorse him afterward.
Some progressives and democratic socialists have responded by threatening to back primary challenges against Jeffries and other Democrats.
Jeffries' team responded by calling such left-wing activists "Team Gentrification," and that the House Democratic leader's response to any such challenge would "be forceful and unrelenting," as Jeffries senior adviser André Richardson told CNN.
Zoom in: Mamdani's plans to freeze rents for stabilized apartments, increase taxes, build city-owned grocery stores and provide free child care for all children — along with his criticisms of corporations and the police — have freaked out many Democrats close to the party's political center.
To try to rally the party behind him, Mamdani is changing his rhetoric, bringing on experienced operatives, talking with the business leaders he wants to tax, and repeatedly talking about "partnership."
His recent message boils down to: I come in peace.
Mamdani said this week he'd "discourage" pro-Palestine protesters from using the term "globalize the intifada," after repeatedly saying he wasn't interested in policing people's speech, as The New York Times reported.
Mamdani also tried, with mixed success, to charm the city's business elite on Tuesday in a closed-door meeting with the Partnership for New York City — a group that includes representatives from big law firms and businesses.
Mamdani, who in the past has called to "defund the police" and is now proposing a "Department of Public Safety" separate from the police department, is now signaling he's open to keeping the current police commissioner, who's widely viewed as tough on crime.
He's also been adding operatives such as Jeffrey Lerner, the former political director of the Democratic National Committee, and political veterans in communications and other areas to add some experience to his young but passionate team.
Flashback: Mamdani's reception by the party contrasts sharply with how Democratic leaders celebrated Mayor Eric Adams four years ago, after he won the Democratic primary.
Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hosted Adams and invited him to speak before the Democratic caucus. Then-President Biden had him over to the White House.
Between the lines: Some Democrats are worried about how Mamdani's rise in New York City has already set off Republican fear-mongering aimed at the entire Democratic Party.
Some conservative critics are focusing on Mamdani being a Muslim who was born in Uganda, while others, such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, are calling him a "communist."
What they're saying: Spokespeople for Mamdani and Jeffries did not respond to requests for comment.
State of play: New York's Democratic establishment is paralyzed in part because there now are two Democrats running as independents in the Nov. 4 general election: Adams and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lost to Mamdani in the Democratic primary.
This week, Mamdani and Adams repeatedly took shots at Cuomo and his record as governor. Both see Cuomo as the biggest threat to their winning in November.
Adams, who polls now find to be deeply unpopular, wants to try to drive Cuomo out of the race to get a one-on-one match-up with Mamdani.
Bottom line: Mamdani is the front-runner in the heavily Democratic city, but some Democratic leaders are unsure he'll win — and for now, they don't want to risk aligning with him.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hill
18 minutes ago
- The Hill
‘Pod Save America' on Gabbard's Obama allegations: ‘Crock of s—‘
'Pod Save America' host Dan Pfeiffer railed against Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's accusations that the Obama administration led a 'treasonous coup' over the 2016 election. 'I don't think we should call this a scandal,' said Pfeiffer, a former adviser to President Obama, in a Friday episode of the podcast. 'Like I don't know what else to call it, a crock of s—' 'They can't even explain the allegation. It makes no sense,' he continued. 'This is the most easily debunked thing in the world.' Last week, Gabbard released a report claiming that the Obama administration manipulated intelligence to create a false narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Gabbard then doubled down on the accusation and unsealed a formerly-classified House Intelligence Committee report on Wednesday that cast doubts on the European country's interest in the 2016 election and his desire to aid President Trump. She called the Obama administration's reported actions 'the most egregious weaponization and politicization of intelligence in American history.' Several intelligence reviews have concluded that Russia sought to influence the contest and that President Vladimir Putin favored Trump in the election. Gabbard, at a White House press briefing on Wednesday, claimed that the evidence pointed to Obama as the main instigator of the efforts and said she was looking into possible criminal implications. President Trump backed Gabbard, calling the intelligence assessment 'irrefutable proof that Obama was seditious.' 'I guess the crime is the creating a false narrative,' co-host Jon Favreau, former Obama speechwriter, said on the Friday episode. 'I didn't think a false narrative could be a coup.' The podcast hosts join fellow Democrats in criticizing Gabbard, particularly as fervor grows surrounding the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which Democrats — and even some Republicans — have called to be released. 'It seems as though the Trump administration is willing to declassify anything and everything except the Epstein files,' said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, in a statement. Favreau, on Friday's episode, pondered whether the the administration can 'will this scandal in to existence by repeating 'treasonous coup' over and over again.' .


Boston Globe
18 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
House ethics panel tells Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to pay more for Met Gala attendance
Advertisement As a guest of Vogue, Ocasio-Cortez and her partner received tickets to the gala valued at $35,000, as well as customized clothing, hair and makeup styling and a hotel room to prepare for the high-society event. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The congresswoman worked with an attorney to comply with House ethics rules and paid for most of the goods and services with personal funds, but the ethics panel found 'the payments were significantly delayed and some payments fell short of fair market value.' In a statement, Ocasio-Cortez's chief of staff, Mike Casca, said: 'The Congresswoman appreciates the Committee finding that she made efforts to ensure her compliance with House Rules and sought to act consistently with her ethical requirements as a Member of the House. She accepts the ruling and will remedy the remaining amounts, as she's done at each step in this process.' Advertisement Representative Mike Kelly Representative Mike Kelly speaks during a hearing on the Secret Service's security failures regarding the assassination attempts on Donald Trump, Dec. 5, 2024, in Washington. Rod Lamkey/Associated Press The House Ethics Committee issued a formal reproval Friday of Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., following a yearslong investigation into an insider-trading allegation over his wife's purchase of stock in a steel company in his Butler-area congressional district. The panel also said Kelly and his wife, Victoria Kelly, should divest of any stock in the company, Cleveland-Cliffs, before the congressman takes any further official actions related to it. While the committee said it 'did not find evidence' that Kelly 'knowingly or intentionally caused his spouse to trade based on insider information,' its report also said it 'did not receive full cooperation from Mrs. Kelly and was therefore unable to determine whether her stock purchase was improper.' However, the report said, 'Representative Kelly's failure to acknowledge the seriousness of the alleged misconduct' and of the investigation itself was a violation of the code of official conduct. The committee did 'not find a clear violation' of conflict of interest. The congressman said in a statement Friday, 'My family and I look forward to putting this distraction behind us.' Kelly noted the investigation has 'unnecessarily' lasted for nearly five years, and in the time since the Cleveland Cliffs Butler Works plant faced an uncertain future. 'Throughout this process, I have fought for the 1,400 workers at the plant, I've spoken with these workers, and they appreciate the hard work we have done to fight for those jobs and for Butler,' Kelly said. The investigation was launched after a July 2021 referral regarding allegations the congressman's wife may have purchased stock based on confidential or nonpublic information he had learned during official duties. Advertisement The Ethics Committee staff reviewed more than 25,000 pages of documents, the report said, and interviewed people including the congressman. It found Kelly had advocated for so-called Section 232 tariffs for the product the plant produced even after Mrs. Kelly held stock in Cleveland-Cliffs. 'He took several actions to specifically benefit Cleveland-Cliffs during the time his wife had a direct financial interest in the company,' it said. Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., speaks at an event, July 7, 2022, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press The House Ethics Committee announced Friday it had unanimously voted to reauthorize an investigative subcommittee to examine allegations involving Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. In May, the Office of Congressional Ethics referred several allegations to the House Ethics committee, including claims Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat, accepted campaign contributions tied to official actions and requested community project funding for a for-profit entity. The south Florida congresswoman has previously faced scrutiny over her campaign activities and the use of her congressional office. And earlier this year, a Florida state agency sued a company owned by her family, alleging it overcharged the state by nearly $5.8 million for pandemic-related work and has refused to return the funds. In a statement, Cherfilus-McCormick underscored that the ethics panel had not reached any final decision and that the further review does not mean she made any violations. 'I fully respect the process and remain committed to cooperating with the Committee as it works to bring this inquiry to a close,' she said. Representative Henry Cuellar Representative Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, speaks during a campaign event, May 4, 2022, in San Antonio. Eric Gay/Associated Press The House Ethics Committee also reauthorized its investigation into Rep. Henry Cuellar over whether he engaged in multiple illegal abuses of his office. The committee launched its investigation into the Texas Democrat last year after the Justice Department indicted Cuellar on numerous federal charges, including bribery, conspiracy and money laundering. Advertisement The committee said in its reauthorization that lawmakers are 'aware of the risks associated with dual investigations' and cautioned that 'the mere fact of an investigation into these allegations does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.' Cuellar's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti and Matt Brown contributed.

USA Today
18 minutes ago
- USA Today
After Lara Trump opts out, president endorses RNC Chair Whatley for NC Senate race
North Carolina is a pivotal battleground state and the Senate race is one of the premier contests of the upcoming midterm elections. There won't be a Trump on the ballot in North Carolina's Senate race, but the president is still putting his imprint on the marquee 2026 matchup. Lara Trump, President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law and his first choice for the U.S. Senate seat in the state where she was born, announced July 24 she won't be running. So the president went to his second choice, endorsing Republican National Committee chair and former North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley in a July 24 social media post. Whatley was Trump's handpicked candidate to lead the RNC during the 2024 election cycle, helping him win the popular vote and secure victories in every swing state, including North Carolina. Whatley co-chaired the RNC with Lara Trump, who resigned after the election. Lara Trump is married to the president's second child, Eric Trump. More: Where did Trump's children go to college? See which schools they attended North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis opted not to seek re-election in 2026 after he announced his opposition to Trump's signature tax legislation, criticizing the bill's cuts to Medicaid. Whatley would give Trump a staunch supporter in the Senate if he wins, with the president declaring, "I need him in Washington." Whatley hasn't announced his plans, but is expected to run for the seat, according to media reports. Trump also endorsed a replacement for Whatley to chair the RNC, Florida state senator and former Florida GOP chair Joe Gruters. More: Melania Trump may get name on the Kennedy opera house. What has she done as first lady? Gruters is a longtime Trump supporter who co-chaired the president's 2016 campaign in Florida with current White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. "I'm looking forward to advancing President Trump's America First agenda as the next chair of the RNC," Gruters said in a statement. More: How Trump and 'terrific guy' Jeffrey Epstein's party boy friendship ended badly North Carolina is a pivotal battleground state and the Senate race is one of the premier contests of the upcoming midterm elections, which will decide if Republicans maintain control of Congress and the ability to enact Trump's agenda. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. Democrats are expected to closely contest the North Carolina race. Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is considered a top potential Democratic candidate.