Democratic New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani stood by his past characterizations of President Donald Trump as a “fascist” and a “threat to democracy” during a “Meet the Press” interview recorded Saturday.
Mandani defeated former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa on Nov. 4, ending the race to replace retiring independent Mayor Eric Adams. “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker asked Mamdani about his past verbal attacks on Trump after Friday's surprise appearance. nice meeting between two New Yorkers in the White House. (RELATED: 'Terrible Night': Scott Jennings warns Democrats' election rout has come at a cost to the party's 'image' in the long run)
“At that press conference with President Trump, the reporter asked you if you believed that President Trump was actually a fascist, a word you've used in the past. You were about to answer, but President Trump kind of jumped up and said, 'It's okay.' You can just say yes, it's easier than explaining,” Welker asked. “Mr. Mayor-Elect, to be clear, do you think President Trump is a fascist?”
“And after President Trump said it, I said yes,” Mamdani responded.
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– Is that what you do? Welker insisted.
“That’s what I’ve said in the past,” he replied. “I said that today, and what I appreciated about the conversation I had with the president is that we weren't shy about the areas of disagreement and the politics that led us to this point.”
“In the past, you have also said that President Trump has committed an 'attack on our democracy' and called him a despot. Do you still believe that President Trump is a threat to democracy?” Welker asked.
“I continue to believe everything I have said in the past, and that is what is important in politics,” Mamdani responded.
Some conservatives say negative rhetoric against Trump has contributed to the rise in political violence. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and his family were forced to move from his home in Arlington, Virginia, after a campaign of harassment that included writing messages such as: “Stephen Miller is destroying democracy,” “No to white nationalism,” and “Transgender rights are human rights” on public sidewalks near his home, as well as posting flyers with his home address.
Founder of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk mortally wounded Sept. 10 while attending a “Prove Me Wrong” event at Utah Valley University. Trump survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 presidential campaign, including similar attack during a campaign rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania, and an attempt on September 15, 2024 ambush him on the golf course.
Then-Vice President Kamala Harris also worsened attacks on Trump in the final weeks of the 2024 presidential campaign, dedicating a major speech attacking the then-former president as a threat to democracy and portraying him as “unstable” days after calling him a “fascist” for CNN Town Hall, October 23, 2024
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