Socialist Democratic New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, who previously made fun of a crying police officer, would be tasked with presiding over the New York Police Department (NYPD) if he is elected.
Mamdani, a self-avowed socialist, called to defund the NYPD in a June 2020 post to X (then known as Twitter), claiming it was “racist, anti-queer and a major threat to public safety.” In a November 2020 post, Mamdani replied “nature is healing” to a user’s post about spotting a crying police officer.
Additionally, Mamdani wrote in a separate November 2020 post that “queer liberation means defund the police.” Though, Mamdani has since backpedaled some of his previous comments about wanting to dismantle the NYPD, telling reporters on Wednesday that he is “not running to defund the police.” (RELATED: New York’s ‘Defund The Police’ Dems Suddenly Have Sympathy For Cops)
The NYPD is notably the largest and one of the oldest municipal police departments in the U.S., with approximately 36,000 officers and 19,000 civilian employees. Mamdani said in March he would consider keeping New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch — who was appointed by current Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams — in her current role if he is elected mayor.
Adams is running for reelection in November as an independent against Mamdani, former Democratic New York Mayor Andrew Cuomo — who decided to stay in the race as an independent after losing the Democratic Primary to Mamdani — and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 15: Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, speaks at an endorsement event from the union DC 37 on July 15, 2025, in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
“He’s [Mamdani’s] going to walk through the door with the department and police unions very nervous,” Terence Monahan, who previously served as chief of department, the highest uniformed rank in the NYPD, told Politico in an interview published Monday. “They are going to jump on anything he does or says.”
Four people were killed in a shooting inside a New York City office building on Monday. Mamdani wrote Monday in a social media post that he was “heartbroken to learn of the horrific shooting in midtown” and “grateful for all of our first responders on the ground.”
Mamdani has drawn criticism over his previous comments about wanting to reduce the role of local police, with The New York Times editorial board writing in a piece published June 16 that he “minimizes the importance of policing.” The democratic socialist has also faced backlash over his anti-Israel rhetoric.
Additionally, House Speaker Mike Johnson told the Daily Caller News Foundation on July 16 that Mamdani is “radical” and a “defund-the-police, big-government Marxist.”
Mamdani’s campaign did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
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