During Debate, Mamdani Offers Slick Dodge When Asked About Disarming Hamas

Just the other day, Zohran Mamdani appeared on Fox News where he was asked repeated about his stance on Hamas, specifically about whether the group should lay down its weapons, which is a key part of President Trump’s peace plan. Mamdani refused to answer, at one point claiming he didn’t really have an opinion on the matter that has been central to his politics for his entire adult life.

MacCallum: “Should Hamas give up their weapons?”

Zohran: “I believe that a future here in New York City is affordable for all.”

MacCallum: “You won’t say that Hamas should lay down their arms?”

Zohran: “I don’t have any opinions on the future of Hamas.” pic.twitter.com/5leKLPrdIt

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 15, 2025

This is like asking Aaron Judge if he has any opinion about the Dodgers or even just baseball as a sport and having Judge respond, “I don’t really have an opinion on these topics, I just hope everyone plays by the rules and has fun.”

Guy Benson did a nice job summing up the absurdity of Mamdani’s interview with Martha MacCallum.

Mamdani is fanatical about the destruction of the Jewish state. He’s agitated for it endlessly, including throughout his campaign. But he suddenly has no opinion on Hamas disarmament because that’s a distraction from his ‘affordability’ sloganeering? Please. pic.twitter.com/Kwb1g3iauK

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) October 15, 2025

There was a strong reaction to Mamdani’s silence on Hamas disarming, as you might imagine. Sensing vulnerability, the NY Times jumped in yesterday with an article intended to defend him. It was headlined “Mamdani Faces Islamophobic Attacks After Comments About Hamas.” The headline was based on a response from Mamdani’s own camp.

“We should call these comments out for what they are: lazy Islamophobic attacks on the Democratic nominee poised to become our city’s first Muslim mayor,” said Dora Pekec, a spokeswoman for Mr. Mamdani.

So the headline is literally quoting his spokeswoman but without putting her statement in quotes. I pointed this out yesterday on X. I clearly wasn’t the only person who noticed. A short time later the headline was changed. The word “Islamophobic” vanished.

The New York Times quickly edited out “Islamophobic” when people rightly pointed out that Mamdani is sympathetic to Hamas.

Why does the New York Times consistently run cover for the most radical individuals? pic.twitter.com/KhMjfpv3B0

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) October 17, 2025

Last night, Mamdani joined a debate against the other two candidates in the race for Mayor, Curtis Sliwa and Andrew Cuomo. And wouldn’t you know it, when asked about Hamas disarming, he suddenly had an opinion again. But listen carefully because once again he’s dodging the question.

JUST NOW:

NYC Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani calls Israel’s Gaza war a “Genocide” during the debate. pic.twitter.com/xfqNsFXWSI

— Jeremy (@JeremyUnplugged) October 16, 2025

The Fox News question was about whether Hamas should “give up” its weapons. That’s a reference to several of the 20 points in President Trump’s plan that require Hamas to not simply agree to a ceasefire but to go beyond that to “decommission their weapons” and renounce their power governing Gaza. Here’s what point 13 in Trump’s 20-point plan says.

Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be destroyed and not rebuilt. There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the independent monitors.

Basically, Hamas has to demilitarize itself. That’s what MacCallum meant when she asked the question “Should Hamas give up their weapons?”

But when asked to clarify his answer during the debate last night, Mamdani still dodged the question. He said, “Of course, I believe that they should lay down their arms.” He then added that laying down arms was always part of a ceasefire. “Calling for a ceasefire means ceasing fire. That means all parties have to cease fire and put down their weapons.”

The question is not whether Hamas should “put down their weapons,” i.e. briefly stop shooting. The question is whether or not the terror group should “give up” all “military, terror and offensive infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities.” Whether it should submit to “a process of demilitarization…which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use…”

Mamdani still won’t say Hamas should stop trying to kill Israelis. Why won’t he say that? I think we all know the answer. 

But in their roundup of the debate, the NY Times didn’t seem to notice. Here’s their description of the exchange.

In the face of vocal criticism from Republicans and Democrats, Mr. Mamdani sought to clean up his comments from a Fox News interview on Wednesday in which he did not answer directly when asked whether Hamas should put down its weapons and step aside in Gaza.

“Of course I believe that they should lay down their arms,” he said.

If you read the NY Times, you have no idea that Mamdani slickly dodged the question a second time. This is only possible because the Times is treating this liar with kid gloves and (probably) because everyone in the building wants him to win. They should be embarrassed by their facile coverage but of course they are not.

Finally, Cuomo’s best moment of the night might have been this one where he pointed out that Mamdani has literally never had a real job.

Andrew Cuomo calls out Zohran Mamdani for having no experience on his resume except working for his mother.

But what was most interesting was how Mamdani’s face changed when Cuomo mentioned 9/11.

Gone was Mamdani’s fake smile, replaced by his jihadist scowl.

(nbcnewyork on TT) pic.twitter.com/25geGFHbqC

— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) October 17, 2025

Here’s Mamdani’s response:

“This is not a job for someone who has no management experience, to run around 300,000 people, no financial experience to run a $115 billion budget,” said the former governor.

“He literally has never had a job. On his resume, it says he interned for his mother. This is not a job for a first timer. Any day you could have a hurricane, God forbid, a 9-11, a health pandemic, if you don’t know what you’re doing, people will die.”

Mamdani immediately shot back, “If we have a health pandemic, then why would New Yorkers turn to the governor who sent seniors to their death in nursing homes? That’s the kind of experience that’s on offer here today.”

“What I don’t have in experience I make up for in integrity, and what you don’t have in integrity you could never make up for in experience,” he added.

The idea that the guy who can’t give a straight answer about the issue that is most central to his political identity is overflowing with “integrity” is a joke. Honestly, part of me still hopes he wins. If he does, the residents of NYC deserve every bit of what they get from this socialist clown.

Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.

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