It's Your Good Pal Zohran Mamdani On 'Meet The Press'!

We watch Sunday shows so you never have to.

The Sunday shows this weekend were in a weird liminal space between the advancement this weekend of the Senate Republicans’ Big Blowjobs for Billionaires Bill by 51 to 49, followed by … whatever is happening with it today.

So for once, instead of them, let’s focus on a bit of hope for the Democratic Party (if they can recognize what they have).

NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani!

New York City’s Democratic primary winner made his first Sunday show appearance on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” following his possible political retirement of nepo-douchecanoe Andrew Cuomo last Tuesday. As Wonkette has written since his victory, the dogwhistles of bigots have become full foghorns since Mamdani won.

He hasn’t been helped by a mainstream political media all too happy to foment Islamophobia (so 2003) and treat conservative narratives as facts.

So after a few questions about the race and his victory, Kristen Welker asked dome dumb questions. Things like the difference between communism and democratic socialism, despite dictionaries existing.

Trump is already painting him as a communist. But, like a person at one with The Force, Mamdani perfectly addressed this by calling out the not-so-subtle subtext, while staying on message.

WELKER: Trump called you a communist. Are you a communist?

MAMDANI: I am not and I already have to get used to the fact that the president is going to talk about how I look, how I sound, where I am from and who I am […] I'm fighting for the very working people that he ran a campaign to empower that he has since then betrayed. […] I call myself a ‘democratic socialist’ in many ways inspired by the words of Dr. King from decades ago who said ‘call it democracy or call it democratic socialism; there must be a better distribution of wealth for all of God's children in this country.’

Mamdani was asked if he would keep New York as a “sanctuary city,” to which he responded “absolutely,” and elaborated more. We all kinda knew where Zohran stood on thatmonths ago when he stood up to Trump’s Border Thumb Tom Homan.

Despite Mamdani speaking of a fair New York for everyone, Welker asked him about the phrase “globalize the intifada,” despite how what he originally said about that has been entirely misrepresented. (You may click that link to see what he actually said.)

MAMDANI: That's not language that I used. The language that I used and the language that I will continue to use to lead the city is that which speaks clearly to my intent, which is an intent grounded in a belief in universal human rights.

Mamdani has also proposed to increase funding for anti-hate crime programming by 800 percent.

When asked about his campaign being a possible model for Dems nationwide, Mamdani was realistic, while pointing out the key factor that CAN BE replicated nationwide.

MAMDANI: I think it showcases a new approach for politics in our city and it is up to others to decide across our country. […] What we wanted to do from the beginning was change our political instinct from lecturing to listening. […] And ultimately when I asked them [Dems who voted for Trump in 2024] what it would take to bring them back to the Democratic Party, they said a relentless focus on an economic agenda.

In other words: “It’s the economy, stupid.”

Speaking of, Welker did ask Mamdani about his take on billionaires as a proud Democratic Socialist. And Mamdani didn’t disappoint.

WELKER: Do you think billionaires have a right to exist?

MAMDANI: I don't think we should have billionaires because it is so much money in a moment of such inequality, and ultimately what we need more of is equality across the city and across the state and country, and I look forward to work with everyone including billionaires to make a city that is fair for all of us.

While Mamdani stayed laser-focused on his message of affordability, Welker couldn’t help ending the interview by asking about the old guard of the Democratic Party.

Welker pointed out the lack of endorsements from fellow New York Dems, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Mamdani was ever the model of a “happy warrior,” while giving those Democrats time to “catch up” to his primary win.

While we also hope they “catch up soon,” it is not helped by things like Jeffries appearing on ABC’s “This Week” to ask Mamdani to clarify something he’s already clarified.

JEFFRIES: ‘Globalizing the intifada' […] is not an acceptable phrasing. He's gonna have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward.

The same energetic base that Dems will need in 2026 seeing this, or seeing Senator Kirsten Gillibrand having what is essentially a facts-free meltdown is not helpful. These establishment Dems pretending we couldn’t see how quickly they embraced Eric Adams after he barely scraped through by one percent in the eighth round of ranked choice voting in 2021, but they ignore a guy who won decisively by a wide margin in the first round?

We guess “Vote Blue No Matter Who” had an establishment clause…

I hope that the Democratic Party does not try to ratfuck Mamdani and, by extension, disenfranchise the very voters they need.

I guess we’ll see.

Let’s have hope.

Have a week.

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