Zohran Mamdani Says He’s Meeting With NYPD Officers After Past ‘Racist’ Label [WATCH]

Queens Assemblyman and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (D-NY) said during an appearance on ABC’s The View that he is holding private conversations with NYPD officers after previously labeling the department “racist.”

As Breitbart reported, Mamdani, who has faced scrutiny for past remarks about law enforcement and public safety, was pressed on Wednesday by co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin.

She pointed to his prior calls to defund the police and his 2020 description of the NYPD as “racist, anti-queer and a threat to public safety.”

“Back in 2020, you called for defunding the police, something you’ve since walked back,” Griffin said.

“You also called the NYPD racist, anti-queer and a threat to public safety in 2020, but now agree they deserve an apology. You initially refused to denounce highly-charged rhetoric related to Israel, then later said you would discourage its use. How can New Yorkers trust you and not be concerned that consultants are getting in your ear to get you elected, but you also hold all of those positions?”

Mamdani rejected the suggestion that political consultants were influencing his positions.

“Well, they can rest assured that it isn’t consultants in my ear. And I think this is another part of how to be a young person. Looking to lead is also to leave the opening for growth and understanding,” he responded.

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The assemblyman referenced high-profile cases that shaped his view of policing, including the Central Park Five, Sean Bell, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and George Floyd.

“Growing up in this city, I thought often about safety and justice, and I saw how justice was often left aside… and then in 2020, to see the murder of George Floyd, it felt as if there had never been a wider chasm in my life between those things,” Mamdani said.

He added that his perspective has changed since entering office.

“After that, becoming an Assembly member and learning about the ways in which you deliver justice is by intertwining it with safety can’t be done alone. And learning that behind the headlines, behind the caricatures, we’re speaking about police officers who are just trying to do their best.”

Griffin followed up by asking if Mamdani had formally apologized to the NYPD. Mamdani responded, “These are conversations that I’m having individually with officers, and I’ve appreciated that because it’s through those conversations with rank and file officers that I’ve learned more about the difficulties of this job.”

Mamdani has not issued a public apology, but his remarks suggest he is attempting to repair relations with police as he campaigns for mayor of New York City.

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