Zohran Mamdani Walks Back On ‘Defund Police' Remark After Criticism
Zohran Mamdani, a leading contender in the New York City mayoral race, is facing renewed scrutiny over past remarks calling to defund the police. The criticism comes in the wake of a deadly mass shooting in Manhattan on Monday, July 28, which claimed the lives of four innocent people.
In response to the backlash, Mamdani addressed the media on Wednesday, July 30, distancing himself from his earlier stance and clarifying his current position on public safety and policing.
Mamdani, who was reportedly out of town at the time of the shooting, returned to New York shortly after the tragedy. Upon arrival, the Democratic mayoral candidate was immediately confronted with questions about his 2020 statements advocating for cuts to the New York Police Department's (NYPD) budget.
'I am not running to defund the police," Mamdani said during the press conference. 'Over the course of this race, I've been very clear about my view of public safety and the critical role that the police have in creating that public safety." He acknowledged that his earlier comments were made in a moment of intense frustration following the death of George Floyd, admitting that those posts were 'clearly out of step" with his current views.
Mamdani also voiced support for the Bangladeshi American Police Association and condemned the killing of Officer Didarul Islam, who was one of the victims of the Manhattan shooting.
However, Mamdani's opponent in the mayoral race, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, was sharply critical of the candidate's previous stance. Speaking earlier on the same day, Cuomo labelled Mamdani as 'anti-police" and suggested that he 'doesn't understand the need for public safety."
'He has said the NYPD are racists, the police are a threat to public safety," Cuomo said. 'I think he's dangerous because he doesn't understand the need for public safety in this city."
In response, Mamdani accused Cuomo of politicising the Manhattan shooting and claimed the former governor prefers to stay in the past.
However, Cuomo continued attacking Mamdani, as he said in his statement to Fox News Digital that his remarks are not about 'politicising the tragedy." 'It is a political discussion that we have to have in this campaign," he added.
For reference, Mamdani's controversial statements date back to 2020, when he posted on X, 'We don't need an investigation to know that the NYPD is racist, anti-queer and a major threat to public safety. What we need is to #DefundTheNYPD."
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