NYC Mayor Mamdani Criticizes Democrats and Netanyahu in CNN Interview After Meeting Trump
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the Democratic Party has lost touch with voters, called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal, and defended his decision to meet President Donald Trump while urging media access and housing development.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that the Democratic Party has drifted away from issues that matter to voters, emphasizing affordability and local concerns such as potholes. He said candidates who focus on cost-of-living challenges, like he did in his own campaign, should receive voter support.
Mamdani also reiterated his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing him as a war criminal and an architect of a genocide against Palestinians. He noted that, although he once pledged to have the New York Police Department arrest Netanyahu if he visited the city, he now acknowledges he lacks legal authority to enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant.
During a meeting at Gracie Mansion, Mamdani said he warned President Donald Trump that he disagreed with the president’s ban on certain media outlets from the White House and affirmed his commitment to a free press. He also raised the importance of the Temporary Protected Status program for New Yorkers and discussed a proposed housing project on Queens’ Sunnyside Yard, which would require federal funding.
"To me, what democratic socialism is — it’s to transform democracy from an ideal or a value into something material," Mamdani said, adding that he aims to extend democratic principles into everyday life.
The mayor said he will continue to meet with any officials who can help deliver projects for the city, while remaining focused on local infrastructure and public-service issues.