A Democratic mayoral candidate for New York City has revealed his approach to addressing past inflammatory comments about law enforcement.
Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani told ABC's "The View" on Wednesday that he is conducting individual conversations with NYPD officers rather than issuing a formal apology for previous statements. Breitbart reported on his appearance, where he discussed his evolving relationship with the police department.
Mamdani had previously called the NYPD racist, anti-queer, and a threat to public safety in 2020. He also advocated for defunding the police during that period, but has since walked back those positions.
Past Statements And Policy Reversals
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin questioned Mamdani about his history of controversial statements regarding law enforcement and other issues. She specifically referenced his 2020 comments calling for police defunding and his characterization of the NYPD as racist and dangerous.
Griffin also mentioned Mamdani's initial refusal to denounce charged rhetoric related to Israel before later changing his stance. The host expressed concern about whether consultants were influencing his policy reversals to improve his electoral prospects.
Mamdani defended his evolution on these issues as part of natural growth and learning rather than political calculation. He emphasized that consultants were not driving his changing positions on these sensitive topics.
Personal Experiences Shaping Views
The assemblyman explained how his upbringing in New York City shaped his initial perspectives on policing and justice issues. He cited several high-profile cases that influenced his thinking about law enforcement practices and community relations.
Mamdani referenced the Central Park Five case, along with the deaths of Sean Bell and Eric Garner, as formative experiences in his understanding of police-community relations. He also mentioned watching news coverage of Michael Brown's death and the impact of George Floyd's murder in 2020.
These incidents created what Mamdani described as a "wider chasm" between his concepts of safety and justice. His early exposure to these controversial cases contributed to his critical stance toward police practices and policies.
Learning Through Legislative Experience
Mamdani's perspective began shifting after he became an Assembly member and gained deeper insights into policy implementation. He discovered that delivering justice requires integrating safety considerations rather than treating them as opposing forces.
The assemblyman learned that effective governance involves understanding the complexities behind newspaper headlines and public caricatures. His legislative role provided opportunities to engage with law enforcement in more substantive ways than his previous activism allowed.
Through his official duties, Mamdani began recognizing that police officers are individuals trying to perform their jobs effectively. This realization marked a significant departure from his earlier broad characterizations of the entire department.
Direct Engagement With Officers
When asked about formally apologizing to the NYPD, Mamdani described his preference for individual conversations with rank-and-file officers. He indicated that these personal interactions have been more valuable than public statements or formal apologies.
The mayoral candidate expressed appreciation for these one-on-one discussions with police personnel throughout the city. He credited these conversations with helping him understand the practical challenges that officers face in their daily work.
Mamdani suggested that direct engagement with individual officers has provided insights that shaped his evolving views on policing. His approach emphasizes personal relationship-building over broad institutional gestures or public apologies to the department as a whole.
