Ema Alice: New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani was pressed on ABC’s The View about his past support for defunding the police and criticism of the NYPD. Mamdani stated that he has since changed his stance, citing his governing experience and private talks with officers. Mamdani argued that public safety and justice should be pursued together. Mamdani has not issued a formal public apology to the NYPD. The View co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin asked how voters could trust the shift and whether officers deserve an apology.
Griffin asked, “How can New Yorkers trust you and not be concerned that consultants are getting in your ear to get you elected, but you still hold all of those positions?”
Mamdani said, “They can rest assured that it isn’t consultants in my ear and I think this is another part of, to be a young person looking to lead is also to leave the opening for growth and understanding. And I can tell you growing up in this city, I thought often about safety and justice, and I saw how justice was often left aside.”
Mamdani added that “the ways in which you deliver justice is by intertwining it with safety.” Griffin then questioned, “Have you formally apologized to the NYPD?” Mamdani said he has made some apologies to officers “individually.” Co-host Whoopi Goldberg praised Mamdani’s acknowledgment of his personal growth.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, labeling him a communist. Mamdani noted he is a democratic socialist. Mamdani said, “No, I’m a democratic socialist. I believe in dignity for all people.”
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