Michael Rapaport Revives NYC Mayor Talk, Vows ‘Street Fight’ Against Zohran Mamdani [WATCH]

Michael Rapaport is making it clear that his political ambitions are no joke. The actor and comedian has reaffirmed his plans to run for mayor of New York City, vowing to take on Mayor Zohran Mamdani with what he calls a “New York City street fight mentality” when 2029 arrives, as reported by Fox News.

During an appearance on Chris Cuomo’s News Nation, the 56-year-old said he was serious about going up against Mamdani, a politician known for his democratic socialist policies.

Rapaport described his approach as completely different from that of traditional candidates.

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“I never thought that I would even consider running for mayor of New York City, and I will do it with the best intentions. And I won’t do it the way any other political person has ever done it,” Rapaport said.

He added that his strategy will be combative, saying, “The only way to beat this guy is to make it and take it with New York City street fight mentality.”

Rapaport didn’t hold back when describing his opponent. “There’s no way to out-nice him. There’s no way out-slick him. I think that he’s the greatest bull crapper in the history of politicians … and that’s saying a lot,” he told Cuomo.

The actor argued that New Yorkers need to begin preparing for a new vision of city leadership now. “New York City needs to do something. We need to plan right now because 2029 is around the corner, and, yes, I’m running for mayor of New York City,” he said.

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Rapaport emphasized that he will stay in the race unless someone else emerges who is “more qualified” to defeat Mamdani. He added, “I will only drop out until I feel like there’s somebody who’s more qualified that could actually beat Zohran the moron.”

In typical Rapaport fashion, he also joked about his temperament while promising to fight fiercely in the campaign ahead.

“My bark is a lot louder than my bite,” he admitted. “There’s no way to out-finesse this guy, out-smile this guy. It has to be a dogfight. It has to be ugly, and that’s what I will do in my campaign.”

The outspoken comedian first revealed his mayoral ambitions in January during an episode of his “I Am Rapaport” podcast. At the time, he introduced himself to listeners as “Mr. Mayor Rapaport.”

“Let me tell you something, guys, girls, women, children of all ages. 2025 was crazy, and I don’t see it getting any calmer or cooler in 2026, the way things started,” he said. “That’s why I’m running for mayor.”

Following the announcement, Rapaport took to Instagram to reinforce his message and his New York roots. In his post, he declared:

“Born. Raised. NYC. Nothing’s free. No bulls—. No fake grins,” also promising to “own my mistakes, apologize when I screw up, and fight to make this city safe, affordable, and thriving.”

He ended the caption with a shot at Mamdani, writing, “You got Zoron the Moron now…Mayor Rapaport is coming. How you like them apples?”

Recently, Rapaport also weighed in on state politics after a controversial protest took place outside a synagogue in New York City. He criticized Governor Kathy Hochul on X for her response to the demonstrations.

“HALLOWEEN SPRING FLING, Now right now in NYC, lunatics dressed in Halloween terra costumes are outside of…. You guessed it, a Synagogue in NYC,” he wrote. He directed his frustration at the governor, adding, “@GovKathyHochul, you’ve had 3 years to do a mask mandate & see if this stops the bulls—, you did nothing. RESIGN in SHAME.”

Representatives for Rapaport and Mamdani did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital’s Lori Bashian contributed to the report, which was written by Christina Dugan Ramirez for the entertainment division of the outlet.

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