Zohran Mamdani: The Democratic party ‘has to be willing to fight for working people’

[0:00] You've had a heck of a week. [0:02] I mean, the election, the candidates you endorsed [0:05] won down the line, and you knocked off [0:08] two Democratic incumbent members of Congress. [0:12] Is this like a unique moment in New York, [0:14] or is this the beginning of a national movement? [0:17] I think we are seeing a hunger [0:19] that is not just felt by New Yorkers, [0:21] but frankly by Americans from coast to coast [0:24] for a new kind of politics, [0:25] one that puts working people at the heart of it. [0:28] I think for far too long, what we as a party [0:30] have been able to say to New Yorkers who are struggling [0:33] is simply to explain why they're struggling, [0:35] not actually offer them a vision for how to make life better. [0:38] And these candidates, Brad, Daria, Lisa, Claire, [0:41] they ran campaigns that spoke to working people [0:44] and that said, life in the nation's most expensive city [0:47] need not be this way any longer, [0:48] and I can't wait to have them as partners in DC in that work. [0:51] So do you see yourself endorsing candidates [0:53] outside of New York, or? [0:54] Yeah, for now my focus is on this [0:58] incredible slate of three congressional candidates, [1:00] as well as, as you said, the five candidates I endorsed [1:03] who ran and won who are all going to be heading to Albany [1:05] in the state legislature. [1:06] But I do think, as you said, it's not just New York City [1:10] where working people are asking themselves, [1:11] why can't I afford my rent? [1:12] Why can't I afford my groceries? [1:14] Why can't I find enough money in my pocket for childcare, [1:16] no matter how hard I work? [1:18] And I'm so excited that these incredible soon-to-be [1:21] Congress members will be helping to lead the fight [1:22] across the country on making sure that working people [1:25] are right there where they should be, [1:26] which is the heart of the conversation. [1:28] The reaction from Democrats has been something. [1:30] You've had some prominent Democrats dismissive [1:34] of what happened here. [1:35] I mean, you had Senator Blumenthal say, [1:38] the effort to nationalize New York is going to fail. [1:41] What happened in New York will be really irrelevant [1:44] by the time of the elections in November. [1:46] Hakeem Jeffries basically said the same thing, [1:49] saying that this is not indicative of what needs [1:51] to happen in November. [1:52] What do you make of that? [1:54] You know, I think that when you ask Americans what they're [1:57] feeling in this moment amidst reports of an economy [2:01] that's strengthening, of a stock market that's booming, [2:04] you will hear an exhaustion at having to try and make ends meet [2:08] every single day, every single week, every single month, [2:11] and that it's getting harder and harder. [2:13] And so a message of fighting for working people, [2:16] we don't have to nationalize that message. [2:17] That is a national message. [2:19] It's a national crisis. [2:20] And for far too long, all we've had to say as a party [2:24] is opposition to the current administration. [2:27] What do we have to say beyond that? [2:29] And what these candidates offer is a vision [2:31] that extends beyond the midterms. [2:32] It extends beyond 2028. [2:34] It speaks to what makes so many of us proud to be Democrats. [2:37] It speaks to a vision that goes back to a New Deal understanding [2:41] of what working people deserve. [2:42] And I'll tell you that for too long, that kind of politics, [2:45] you can only find it in history books. [2:47] And we need to bring it back to the present day. [2:48] And you're hearing some not just dismissive, though. [2:51] There's resentment. [2:53] And this is from fellow Democrats who think that this [2:55] could jeopardize Democratic chances in the fall. [2:58] I mean, you've got Josh Gottheimer, a Democratic member [3:01] of Congress, says, many of us believe, as do I. [3:04] If you're a socialist, you are not a Democrat. [3:07] And in fact, they put out a manifesto today. [3:09] Have you seen this thing? [3:10] Sounds pretty socialist to me. [3:12] It's not a communist manifesto. [3:13] It's a moderate manifesto saying, we are capitalist, [3:18] not socialist. [3:19] We believe in a growing, fair, and competitive economy, [3:21] entrepreneurship, ownership. [3:23] I mean, this is a direct response, they've made it clear, [3:26] to what you did here on Tuesday. [3:28] Well, I mean, you know, that's great, [3:29] but what's a party if not its voters? [3:31] And I'm proud to sit in front of you as the mayor of our city, [3:34] having received more than a million votes a little over, [3:37] a little less than a year ago. [3:39] And when we're talking about these incredible congressional [3:42] candidates, they won their races, [3:44] and they won their races with a vision of what politics should [3:47] be, and one that actually speaks to working people. [3:49] And for a lot of people who ask themselves, [3:51] what does democratic socialism mean? [3:53] And you can tell them the answer at a theoretical level. [3:56] It's the choice to extend democracy from the ballot box [3:58] the rest of their lives. [4:00] But in terms of what it means over these last seven months, [4:02] we've seen a city with democratic socialist principles [4:05] at the heart of it within our administration. [4:07] And what we've delivered has been record lows [4:10] when it comes to murders and shootings. [4:12] So is it pragmatic democratic socialism? [4:14] I think democratic socialism at the heart is pragmatic, [4:18] because if we cannot deliver for working people, [4:20] then what is this for? [4:21] I'm not interested in writing a manifesto [4:23] or frankly, in reading one. [4:25] I'm interested in delivering, [4:26] and that's exactly what we've been showing. [4:28] But they're saying that if you're a socialist, [4:29] you're not a Democrat. [4:31] I mean, is there room in the party for both of these views? [4:36] Yes, here I am. [4:38] And here is so many more. [4:39] And I think what makes our party a beautiful party [4:41] is the fact that it's a big tent, that we have people... [4:44] But you've also said it has to be a party [4:46] with a spine, with a backbone. [4:47] Yes, even a tent has to stay up. [4:49] Yes, so does it have to stand firmly for these ideas [4:54] that you're talking about that others are calling dangerous? [4:57] I think it has to stand for working people, [4:58] and I think it has to be willing to fight for working people. [5:01] And I think that there are some who are offended [5:05] by the prospect of a party that knows who it fights for [5:08] and goes every day to work for that. [5:10] Because what we've seen over many years [5:12] is a willingness to not only explain away the status quo, [5:16] but frankly, even to look to benefit from the status quo. [5:19] And that's not what working people are looking for [5:21] from our party. [5:22] As New Yorkers were going to vote, [5:23] you said something interesting. [5:24] You said the race for 2028 starts now, [5:29] the presidential race. [5:30] What do you mean by that? [5:32] Well, a lot of pundits asked me about this race [5:34] and what it means and how to think about it. [5:36] And at the core of Tuesday's results [5:39] was a message from Democratic voters [5:42] across the largest city in the United States of America [5:44] about the kind of politics they want to see. [5:46] And we know that we oppose the cruelty [5:48] of the federal administration. [5:50] What is it that we stand for beyond that? [5:52] So you can't just be anti-Trump, obviously. [5:53] You can't. [5:54] But you've got to have something [5:55] you are not just willing to stand up for, [5:57] but that you're also willing to explain [6:00] how this is relevant to working people. [6:02] And I think this just comes back to the fact [6:03] that I'm leading a city that's the wealthiest city [6:06] in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. [6:08] I could end the sentence there and say that life is great [6:11] for eight and a half million people. [6:12] But it's also a city where one in four are living in poverty. [6:15] And for far too many Americans, [6:17] those contradictions have become their day-to-day life. [6:19] And we need a party that's able to recognize [6:22] the strengths of this economy [6:24] and understand that it hasn't reached enough people. [6:26] Now, you know, there's been a lot of attention. [6:28] One of the candidates you supported who won, [6:30] who knocked off an incumbent Democrat, [6:32] is Dara-Lisa Avila-Chalvier. [6:35] She said some very controversial things, [6:36] including calling for the abolition of prisons, [6:41] couldn't say whether or not somebody who had committed murder [6:44] should be in prison, called for open borders, [6:47] against all deportations, including those of violent criminals. [6:51] Are those positions that the Democratic Party [6:54] could win on nationally? [6:55] I think what the Democratic Party can win on nationally [6:58] is a focus on working people. [7:00] And I think that what I saw from Dara-Lisa [7:02] when I would walk the streets of her district [7:04] was a focus on what she describes as a politics of life. [7:07] She would talk about how we have to invest in babies, not bombs. [7:10] She's now going to represent what is one of the poorest districts [7:13] in the United States of America. [7:15] And what people in that district are exhausted by [7:18] is a politics that has justified the spending [7:22] of tens of billions of dollars in killing civilians overseas [7:26] while working people are struggling just to do the basics. [7:29] But how does abolishing prisons [7:31] or having open borders fit into that? [7:33] I mean, do you see how that's... [7:34] Those are ideas that a lot of your Democrats [7:36] that are warning about what happened here say are toxic. [7:39] Most of America won't go along with it. [7:40] They're bad ideas. [7:41] They're dangerous ideas. [7:43] I think what the focus of her race was, [7:45] what the focus of her candidacy was, [7:46] was about the struggle that working people are facing. [7:49] And I think that we can have disagreements [7:51] on policy positions. [7:52] What we have to agree on is what are we fighting for [7:54] and who are we fighting for? [7:55] She showed that in her race. [7:57] And I think that many people will come to appreciate that [7:59] in her leadership to come. [8:00] So we can disagree on something as basic [8:02] as whether or not there should be prisons? [8:03] They're not only... [8:04] That's not your position. [8:05] There are prisons. [8:06] Yes. [8:07] And what we're also showing in this city [8:08] is that safety is not something that's up for debate. [8:11] It's something that we're actually delivering on. [8:13] And I'm proud to be the mayor of a city that currently has [8:15] the lowest recorded number of murders and shootings [8:18] in recorded history in New York City. [8:20] So there was also a take. [8:22] It's not just Democrats. [8:24] You've probably heard what President Trump had to say [8:26] about you and about the candidates you supported. [8:28] And he warned that if socialists win, [8:31] and he calls you communists, [8:32] but you will start living in squalor. [8:36] There'll be no food, no housing, no military, [8:38] no law and order, there'll be nothing. [8:41] And he had a few other choice words. [8:44] By the way, he also said he still likes you. [8:47] But what do you make of what he... [8:51] I mean, the Republicans are gonna make you the poster child [8:54] for the Democratic Party. [8:57] Let them. [8:58] We don't have to ask ourselves what life looks like [9:00] if a socialist wins. [9:02] I won last November, and over the course of these last six months, [9:05] what we've delivered for working people [9:07] are the very things we were told were impossible. [9:10] We've delivered free childcare for two-year-olds [9:12] for the first time in New York City history. [9:14] We've delivered tens of millions of dollars [9:16] back to tenants who were taken advantage of by bad landlords. [9:19] We've delivered 165,000 potholes being paved. [9:23] And we've done all of these things [9:25] while also delivering the lowest recorded crime [9:28] in our city's history. [9:29] That's what it looks like to have democratic socialism. [9:31] And what you're seeing is that New Yorkers [9:33] experienced this for six months [9:34] and made the decision that they wanted to see more of it [9:36] on the national stage as well. [9:38] Can a democratic socialist get elected president? [9:40] I think a democratic socialist can get elected [9:42] anywhere across this country for any position. [9:44] What I think we need to bring [9:46] is a focus on working people. [9:47] And that's the direction that the party should go in [9:50] in terms of selecting a candidate for 2028. [9:52] I think the direction that the party should go in [9:54] is how best to fight for working people. [9:56] I think we need to have a platform and a vision [9:59] that doesn't sound as if it was cooked up by consultants, [10:02] but instead one that you would say in response [10:05] to someone who's asking, why can't I afford my rent? [10:07] Why can't I afford my groceries? [10:08] Why can't I afford my childcare? [10:10] We need to make clear who we stand for, [10:13] how we're going to stand for them, [10:14] and that we're actually willing to fight for them [10:16] when the going gets tough. [10:17] Obviously, Israel was a big issue in these races. [10:19] Not the only issue, but a big issue. [10:22] Is there a room in the Democratic Party [10:25] for candidates off officials who support Israel, [10:31] not just support Israel, but support military aid for Israel? [10:35] This was a huge issue for you. [10:36] Well, I think what we've seen is that the time for us [10:40] as elected officials to pronounce what the party should be [10:43] is one that should come to an end, [10:45] and we should let Democratic voters themselves take the lead. [10:48] And we've seen on Tuesday evening, [10:50] we saw Democrats turn out in districts across the city [10:53] to make clear that they were tired of tens of billions [10:56] of dollars being spent in our taxpayer dollars [11:00] to violate international law to kill thousands of civilians. [11:03] And you and I know that right now, [11:05] the way that Palestine is described [11:07] is as if there is a ceasefire. [11:08] That's the language that's typically used. [11:10] More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed [11:12] in that ceasefire. [11:13] And what New Yorkers want to see is a politics of conscience, [11:17] a politics of clarity, a politics of conviction. [11:20] And to follow international law, [11:22] to believe in the humanity of all people, [11:25] it shouldn't be a journey too far. [11:26] And I think that our party needs to hear [11:29] what Democrats are telling it. [11:30] Democratic Socials of America now says [11:32] they no longer favor a two-state solution. [11:35] Is that the way you see it as well? [11:37] The idea of two states, Palestinian, Jewish state, [11:41] side-by-side living in peace? [11:43] The way I see it is equal rights for all people. [11:47] And I think that that's the truth for Israel. [11:48] It's the truth for any country in the world. [11:50] And frankly, as we're coming up close [11:52] to the 250th anniversary of our nation, [11:55] one of the things that makes me proudest to be an American [11:57] is the belief that equal rights are at the bedrock [11:59] of our notion of what it means to be an American. [12:01] And the idea of a Jewish state, Israel [12:03] is a Jewish state that's in the charter. [12:04] That's the way it is now. [12:07] Do you support that? [12:09] I've said time and again that I support the state of Israel [12:11] as a state with equal rights. [12:13] I believe that any state that preferences- [12:14] What is a Jewish state, is the question? [12:16] I think any state that privileges one religion over the other [12:18] is one that I can't tell you I support, [12:20] whether it be Israel or Saudi Arabia or anywhere else. [12:23] And a lot of that comes back to a fundamental belief [12:25] that we should all be considered equal [12:27] no matter what our faith is. [12:29] How big a problem, you said it's rising, [12:32] is anti-Semitism in this city? [12:34] We've seen anti-Semitism rise in this city. [12:36] We've seen the fact that Jewish New Yorkers [12:38] comprise a minority of our city's population [12:41] and yet continue to constitute a majority of the hate crimes [12:45] that have been pervaded in this city. [12:47] And that's something that's unacceptable. [12:49] It's something that we will never come to see [12:52] as if it is a part of life. [12:53] It's something that has to be fought and rooted out [12:55] of every one of the five boroughs. [12:56] What did you think when Dan Goldman, [12:58] that coffee shop in Brooklyn, [13:00] said that they wouldn't serve him [13:02] because of his support for Israel? [13:04] You have a problem with, I mean, the idea of, you know, [13:07] of an establishment like that saying [13:10] they're not gonna serve somebody if they support Israel? [13:13] I've said that I have political disagreements [13:16] with Congressmember Goldman. [13:17] I do believe that that's a response that goes beyond that. [13:20] So that's not the right kind of thing? [13:22] No, I think it's much better to keep that critique [13:24] in the way that we've done it. [13:26] Okay, so we're just about out of time. [13:28] I gotta ask you, I noticed that you're turning 35 soon, right? [13:33] In a few months, yes. [13:34] So you now hit one of the constitutional requirements [13:36] to run for president. [13:38] But there's another one that says you have to be [13:39] a natural-born citizen, you were not born here. [13:42] Yes. [13:43] But do you think that's something that should be changed [13:46] in the Constitution, it would take an amendment, [13:48] but do you think that we should change that? [13:51] No. [13:52] I think the Constitution looks good the way it is. [13:54] Just the way it is. [13:55] Just the way it is. [13:56] I'm very excited to focus on New York City, [13:58] but thank you for reminding me of my upcoming mortality. [14:01] 35 years old, 35 years old. [14:03] All right, Mr. Mayor, thank you very much. [14:05] It was a real pleasure.