New York City Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s Much Ballyhooed Fox News Debut Sparks Polarized Reactions

New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani used his first Fox News interview on Wednesday to speak directly to President Donald Trump, in what became a politically charged appearance that drew sharp reactions across the political spectrum.

During his interview with Martha MacCallum on “The Story,” Mamdani turned toward the camera to address Trump directly, saying, “I just want to speak directly to the president. I will not be a mayor like Mayor Adams, who will call you to figure out how to stay out of jail. I won’t be a disgraced governor like Andrew Cuomo, who will call you to ask how to win this election. I will, however, be a mayor who is ready to speak at any time to lower the cost of living.”

The Democratic nominee, who currently leads the polls to become New York City’s mayor, discussed his vision for the city, focusing on affordability and public safety. He emphasized that, if elected, he would take a different approach from the other candidates, particularly in how they engage with the president.

An Apology to the NYPD

One of the interview’s most notable moments came when Mamdani offered an apology to members of the city’s police department for 2020 social media posts in which he called the force “racist” and “wicked.”

“Absolutely, I’ll apologize to police officers right here,” Mamdani said. “I’m looking to work with these officers, and I know that these officers, these men and women who serve in the NYPD, they put their lives on the line every single day.”

He first tweeted criticism of the NYPD following George Floyd protests in June 2020, as the mayor’s office and the city council were in tense budget negotiations.

Contentious Israel Questions

MacCallum pressed Mamdani on the subject of Israel and the recent Gaza ceasefire agreement, asking if he believed Hamas, a U.S. designated foreign terrorist organization, should “lay down their arms.”

Mamdani dodged, saying he had no opinion: “I don’t really have opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety and the fact that anything has to abide by international law. That applies to Hamas, that applies to Israeli military, applies to anyone you could ask for.”

Mamdani is set to face off against Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa for one of two debates before the November 4 election. The Fox News interview aired one day before Thursday’s first general election debate.

He also doubled down on his pledge to direct the NYPD to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if Netanyahu visits New York City, saying that he would “exhaust every legal option” to try to carry it out. In his exchange with MacCallum, Mamdani stated: “I’ve said that this is a city that believes international law, and this is a city that wants to uplift and uphold those beliefs.”

MacCallum challenged Mamdani, saying, “The United States doesn’t stand by the International Criminal Court.” Mamdani acknowledged that the U.S. has not signed the treaty for the International Criminal Court.

Mamdani said it was “too early” to give Trump credit for developments in the Middle East but added that he would be willing to do so if peace efforts prove lasting. He expressed gratitude for the recent ceasefire, saying he was “thankful and hopeful” it would hold, but voiced concern over reports of Palestinian deaths despite the truce.

Fox News Host’s Fiery Response

The interview drew an immediate and inflammatory response from Fox News host Will Cain, who devoted a segment of his show to attacking Mamdani.

“Presenting the image of a smiling 34-year-old, Mamdani chose to talk about affordability, and when forced to talk about crime and justice he did take that moment to apologize to the NYPD,” Cain said, before displaying Mamdani’s past social media posts.

Cain stated: “He once posted ‘nature is healing’ in response to another post about a police officer crying. He also said ‘the NYPD is racist, anti-queer, and a threat to public safety.’ Leave that on your screen for a moment and take that in because that is not the smiling, false version of Zohran Mamdani.”

Cain then escalated his rhetoric dramatically: “Zohran Mamdani’s a man that talks about race. He talks about taxing white people and taxing white neighborhoods. He’s openly socialist and obviously communist, and in that way he represents something bigger than just a threat to public safety. He represents a threat to Western civilization.”

Political Context

Mamdani, a state lawmaker from Queens who identifies as a democratic socialist, is currently leading in the polls over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani stands at 46% support among likely voters, according to a Quinnipiac University poll conducted in early October. Cuomo stands at 33% support in the survey and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa stands at 15%.

Mamdani is set to face off against Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa for one of two debates before the November 4 election. The Fox News interview aired one day before Thursday’s first general election debate.

Mamdani’s meteoric rise from unknown assemblyman to frontrunner to lead the country’s largest city has astonished political observers. His campaign has electrified progressives and spawned similar candidacies around the country,

Mayor Eric Adams inched closer to making an endorsement in the race, telling “The Reset Talk Show” on GMGT Live: “We are in conversations. I’m in conversation with Andrew. I think it’s important that we can’t succumb to the far left agenda in this city.”

The interview underscored the intense scrutiny Mamdani faces as he attempts to navigate between his progressive base and broader electorate concerns about crime and public safety in the final weeks before Election Day.

This story was aggregated by AI from several news reports and edited by American Kahani’s News Desk.