Democratic New York City Mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani knows he should apologize. He just doesn’t seem to want to do it.
The New York Times (NYT) asked Mamdani on Sept. 11 if he felt he should “apologize to police officers” for a 2020 tweet calling the New York City Police Department (NYPD) “racist, anti-queer, and a major threat to public safety.” (RELATED: We Now Know Which Crimes Are A-OK With Beloved Socialist Candidate Zohran Mamdani … For Now)
Mamdani eventually agrees an apology is warranted. First, he blusters, according to an edited transcript of the interview released Wednesday.
Honesty and accountability matter. So too does an apology. But @andrewcuomo is incapable of that.
Grateful to the families who gathered us across party lines to mark the 5th anniversary of the ex-Gov’s tragic decision to send patients with COVID back into nursing homes. pic.twitter.com/VgGywuHUnX
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) March 24, 2025
“Those comments are not reflective of not only the campaign that I’ve run, but also my view of public safety and the fact that police will be critical partners in delivering public safety,” Mamdani said. “Beyond every headline and beyond every caricature, what I’ve found is a New Yorker simply trying to do the best that they can. I know that that is the case for NYPD officers,”
“Do you still believe that now?” The NYT questioned.
“No. These were comments that I made at the height of frustration in 2020 around the ways in which after the murder of George Floyd, many New Yorkers felt a real betrayal on the promise — to use Eric Adams’s words — of safety and justice being things that could be mutually delivered, as opposed to one at the expense of another,” Mamdani claimed.
“If those comments are wrong and you don’t believe them now, should you apologize to the officers of the N.Y.P.D.?”
“Yes,” Mamdani admitted.
It’s been nearly two weeks since Mamdani told the Times he should apologize. Tick, tock.
Mamdani has received enthusiastic endorsements from Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Democratic New York City Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. And a lackluster endorsement from former vice president Kamala Harris. (RELATED: Kamala Harris Half-Heartedly Backs Socialist Zohran Mamdani Without Even Saying His Name)
Mamdani is projected to win the mayor’s race, according to a Sept. 9 NYT/Siena Poll.
The NYT includes Mamdani’s response regarding the NYPD in a Wednesday article, “10 (More) Questions With Zohran Mamdani.” They do not reference an apology issued in that time. Mamdani’s X profile, which is frequently updated, bears no mark of apology, either.
Maybe he’s just being consistent.
During 2020’s Astoria assembly race, Mamdani lambasted his opponent, Aravella Simotas, for apologizing.
This morning our opponent said she was sorry that her returning police money made the right-wing press angry. That this was not her intention.
Here’s a promise to Astoria: I will never apologize for standing up for what’s right.
We know what’s coming. And we’re ready to fight. pic.twitter.com/W6e0F0Bk3c
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) June 1, 2020
“This morning our opponent said she was sorry that her returning police money made the right-wing press angry. That this was not her intention.”
“Here’s a promise to Astoria: I will never apologize for standing up for what’s right,” Mamdani pledged.
He’s reluctant to apologize for standing up for what’s wrong, too.
Follow Natalie Sandoval on X: @NatSandovalDC
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