He says he’s a changed man and defunding the police is no longer in his campaign, but Zohran Mamdani has a history of calling for the NYPD to be defunded, even calling them racists.
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani faced renewed backlash Thursday night after claiming during a televised debate that he never called for defunding the police, despite a series of past social media posts showing otherwise.
In multiple 2020 posts on X (formerly Twitter), Mamdani — then a first-term state assemblyman — explicitly urged city leaders to “defund” and “dismantle” the New York Police Department (NYPD) during nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd.
“There is no negotiating with an institution this wicked & corrupt. Defund it. Dismantle it. End the cycle of violence,” Mamdani wrote in June 2020.
He also described the NYPD as “racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety,” and said “we need to defund the police & build a socialist New York.”
Ten posts contradict debate remarks
A review of Mamdani’s 2020 account activity reveals at least ten separate instances where he used the “defund” slogan, calling for the reallocation of police funds toward housing, healthcare, and social services. Those statements resurfaced within hours of Thursday’s debate, after he denied ever backing the movement.
Mamdani’s critics quickly seized on the contradiction, sharing screenshots of his old posts that have circulated widely online.
Candidate issues public apology to NYPD
Mamdani has since distanced himself from his 2020 remarks, offering a formal apology to officers earlier this week. “Absolutely, I’ll apologize to police officers right here,” Mamdani told Fox News’s Martha MacCallum on Wednesday. “I’m looking to work with these officers. I know that these men and women put their lives on the line every single day.”
He explained that his earlier comments were made “amidst a frustration that many New Yorkers held at the murder of George Floyd,” adding that his current platform focuses on “delivering both justice and safety.”
Mamdani rejects ‘defund’ slogan in 2025 campaign
The Astoria lawmaker now supports maintaining the NYPD’s current headcount and insists his approach to public safety includes collaboration with law enforcement and investment in community programs.
Still, his not-so-convincing reversal has become a flashpoint in the final stretch of the campaign, with opponents accusing him of political opportunism and inconsistency. It is also clear that he has no intention of rebuilding the department that has been essentially dismantled over the past eight years.