Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, joined progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders for a town hall on Saturday in Brooklyn, where he directly criticized President Donald Trump’s involvement in the mayoral race.
“It’s not doing to be Donald Trump, it’s not going to be (billionaire donor) Bill Ackman, it’s not going to be DoorDash. We will choose our own mayor,” Mamdani told a sea of supporters at Brooklyn College.
The event, part of Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, comes as Mamdani works to consolidate the support of New York City Democrats, with divisions lingering in the wake of his upset victory in the June primary.
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — whom Mamdani defeated in the nominating contest — is forging ahead with an independent bid, while incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is seeking reelection also on a third-party line, having fallen out with his former party.
The dueling bids complicate the path forward for Mamdani, whose primary victory in the heavily Democratic city would normally provide a glide path to the mayor’s office.
Mamdani’s opponents, meanwhile, are engaged in their own campaign to coalesce behind an alternative. This week, Adams met privately with President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss potential opportunities to join the Trump administration, including an ambassadorship, part of an effort to set up a match between Mamdani and Cuomo in the general election.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he believed the mayoral race against Mamdani could not be won if there were multiple candidates in the running. He denied offering Adams an ambassadorship but said he believed Cuomo would have a better shot at beating Mamdani, whom he referred to as a “communist.”
“He is free to do what he wants,” Trump said of Adams. “If it’s not one-on-one, it’s going to be a hard race.”
Mamdani sought to closely tie Cuomo with Trump, telling supporters Saturday that the former governor, if elected, would not fight back if the president deploys the National Guard to New York City.
Mamdani quipped, “Why would he fight back when it’s Donald Trump that’s trying to get him elected right now?”
Sanders: Mamdani’s campaign is a ‘test case’ for democracy
During the town hall, Mamdani credited Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns for inspiring his political career.
“It was Bernie’s campaign for the presidency in 2016 that gave me the language of democratic socialism to describe my politics,” Mamdani said. He added that when he ran for State Assembly years later, “We continued to look to him and his (2020) campaign and his vision as the compass for the work we wanted to do in electoral politics.”
Sanders, who turns 84 on Monday, has worked to lift up younger progressive leaders such as Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who have cited him as influences. Mamdani at one point led the crowd in signing “Happy Birthday” to Sanders.
Sanders applauded Mamdani for his grassroots efforts and described the assemblyman’s campaign as an extension of the Vermont independent senator’s own fight against oligarchy.
“What Zohran’s campaign is about is an understanding that today we are living in an unprecedented moment in the modern history of our country, and we have got to fight back in an unprecedented way,” Sanders said.
He later added: “What you are seeing now is an oligarchy with enormous economic power and enormous political power in both political parties. And what this campaign is about and why it is so enormously important — this is a test case. It is a test case of whether or not democracy is still able to prevail.”
Both men went on to deliver a message of unity, stressing the importance of ordinary people coalescing against the wealthy and powerful.
“That fight, not just against oligarchy but for democracy, is a fight that has energized tens of thousands of Americans across this country. It has shown once again that politics is something that can be powered by ordinary people — with not just a rejection of authoritarianism but a belief in what is possible as well,” Mamdani said.
Meanwhile, Sanders said: “They have the wealth. They have the power. But you know what we got? And what Zohran’s campaign is showing? We have the people.”
People attend a town hall meeting hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in Brooklyn on September 6. – Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Some New York Democrats have yet to endorse Mamdani
Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, has faced resistance from some New York Democratic leaders, wary of his left-wing policy proposals and his outspoken criticism of Israeli military actions in Gaza.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who represents a New York City district, has thus far withheld his endorsement, as have Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, another New York Democrat, and the state’s Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul.
Progressive leaders such as Sanders, however, have lined up behind Mamdani, praising his campaign as a model for Democrats as they navigate a path back to power.
On Saturday, Sanders took aim at those withholding their support from Mamdani, saying, “I find it hard to understand how the major Democratic leaders in New York state are not supporting the Democratic candidate.”
“So we got another fight on our hands and that is the future of the Democratic Party,” Sanders later added.
Mamdani met with Sanders in Washington in the immediate aftermath of his surprise primary victory, during which the erstwhile progressive leader offered him advice on intraparty clashes, money in politics, and allegations of antisemitism amid his criticism of Israel.
Another prominent New York Democrat, Ocasio-Cortez — a featured guest at Sanders’ cross-country rallies — also endorsed Mamdani in the run-up to the primary, and has continued leveraging her robust fundraising network on his behalf since the win.
And Mamdani’s charm offensive continues apace. Last week he held his second meeting with Jeffries, having previously connected in July. Jeffries has said he and Mamdani have had “candid and constructive” conversations, and the Democratic leader has praised Mamdani’s focus on cost-of-living issues in his campaign.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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