Zoran Mamdani speaks directly to President Trump in FOX News interview
Zoran Mamdani, a leading candidate for New York City mayor, appeared on Fox News for the first time and addressed President Trump.
Zoran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for New York mayor, appeared on Fox News for the first time and spoke directly to one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics.
In an Oct. 15 interview on “The Martha McCallum Story,” the 33-year-old democratic socialist and racial justice front-runner spoke directly to the president on camera, criticizing outgoing Mayor Eric Adams and his arch-racist rival, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
“I just want to speak directly to the president,” Mamdani said. “I’m not going to be a mayor like Mayor Adams who calls to figure out how to get out of jail. I’m not going to be a disgraced governor like Andrew Cuomo who calls to ask how to win this election. I can do those things myself.”
Mamdani mentioned that Adams was indicted on federal corruption charges in 2024, but the Justice Department dropped those charges after Trump took office.
“But I intend to be a mayor who is always ready to speak out to reduce the cost of living,” Mamdani said, referring to one of the platforms that defined his campaign. “That’s how I want to lead this city.”
Mamdani’s interview was conducted ahead of the first debate scheduled for October 16, less than two weeks until voting day. The state lawmaker will face off against Cuomo, a centrist Democrat who is running as an independent after losing to Mamdani in June’s Democratic primary, and Curtis Sliwa, the lone Republican candidate.
Polls consistently show Mamdani ahead of Cuomo. The latest Quinnipiac University poll released on October 10 shows Mamdani with a huge double-digit lead, even though Cuomo has increased his approval rating by 10 points since the September poll.
Mamdani’s continued popularity caught the attention of the president. In an interview with “Fox & Friends” in September, Trump predicted Mamdani would win the mayoral race and said the democratic socialist represented a “rebellion” against other candidates.
He has since threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if Mamdani wins.
During an Oct. 15 appearance on Fox News, Mamdani was also asked about the relationship between the Israel-Hamas war and the New York City Police Department.
When asked about the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, a key issue within the Democratic Party and a dividing line in New York’s mayoral race, he largely sidestepped the question. Mr. Mamdani has been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and has called Israel’s military operation in Gaza a genocide, while Mr. Cuomo is an ardent supporter of Israel.
“I have no particular opinion on the future of Hamas and Israel, other than the question of justice and security and the fact that everything must follow international law,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani also publicly apologized to the NYPD in an interview for comments he made in 2020 in the wake of the George Floyd protests, calling the group “racist, anti-gay and a serious threat to public safety.”
“This is an apology that I have shared with many rank-and-file police officers, so I hereby apologize to the police officers,” he said. “And I apologize for the fact that I want to work with these police officers. I know that these police officers, these men and women who work for the NYPD, risk their lives every day.”
Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml.
