New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani appeared on Fox News on Wednesday, where he refused to praise the Gaza ceasefire deal or the release of the hostages by Hamas terrorists.
The Muslim socialist, who has faced attacks labeling him an extremist and jihad supporters, stayed focused on his campaign message during his exchange with Fox News host Martha MacCallum. When pressed on whether Hamas should disarm and relinquish control in Gaza, Mamdani redirected the conversation back to local concerns.
“I believe that any future here in New York City is one that we have to make sure that’s affordable for all. And as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we need to ensure that there is peace, and that is the future that we fight for,” he said. “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. And that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military, applies to anyone you could ask me about.”
Mamdani’s appearance comes amid growing scrutiny from both local and national figures, including President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly blasted him as unfit for office and warned that New York City could lose federal funding if he wins.
During the Fox interview, Mamdani used the opportunity to address Trump directly, positioning himself as an independent-minded candidate who won’t follow the playbook of other New York politicians.
“He may be watching right now, and I just want to speak directly to the president,” Mamdani said. “I will not be a mayor like Mayor [Eric] 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 can do those things on my own. I will, however, be a mayor who is ready to speak at any time to lower the cost of living.”
With that, Mamdani wrapped the interview much as he began it — keeping his focus on local issues, declining to wade into foreign policy controversies, and casting himself as a new kind of political voice in New York City.
{Matzav.com}
