Another deadly mass shooting just rocked Midtown Manhattan, leaving three innocent civilians and a brave NYPD officer dead. The suspect, Shane Tamura, was ultimately neutralized, but not before he unleashed chaos in the heart of America’s largest city. And while the city mourns, one name is suddenly under the microscope: Zohran Mamdani.
You might recognize Mamdani as the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City. But before he started trying to sound like a moderate in a general election, he was one of the loudest voices in the radical “Defund the Police” movement. And now, with blood on the streets and citizens demanding answers, his past is catching up with him.
Back in 2020, while New Yorkers were still reeling from riots and escalating violence, Mamdani was crystal clear in his agenda. “No, we want to defund the police,” he wrote on social media in June of that year. In another post, he declared, “Queer liberation means defund the police.” And it didn’t stop there. He accused the NYPD of being “racist,” “anti-queer,” and “a major threat to public safety.” His solution? “Defund it. Dismantle it. End the cycle of violence.”
Now, let’s be clear. These weren’t off-the-cuff remarks. These were calculated posts from a man fully aligned with the far-left fringe that seeks to tear down law enforcement, not reform it. It was part of a broader movement to gut the very institutions that keep our communities safe. And now that Mamdani is trying to win over a broader electorate, suddenly he’s changed his tune. In a recent mayoral debate, he said, “I will not defund the police. I will work with the police.”
Really? What changed—other than the political calculus?
This is the same tired playbook we’ve seen from Democrats time and again. They pander to the radical base to win primaries, then try to walk it back for the general election. But this time, the stakes are too high. New Yorkers aren’t just voting on tax policy or zoning regulations. They’re voting on life and death. And Mamdani’s record is a flashing red warning sign.
Let’s remember: the NYPD officer who gave his life in this latest tragedy didn’t just die in the line of duty—he died defending a city whose would-be mayor once called his department “wicked & corrupt.” That is unconscionable.
Meanwhile, other candidates—like Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa—are standing firm in support of law enforcement. “Grateful to our first responders who run toward danger to keep us safe,” Sliwa said in response to the shooting. That’s the kind of leadership New York needs right now: unapologetic, resolute, and rooted in reality.
Even Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams, both entrenched Democrats, had the sense to praise the bravery of the NYPD without qualifications. Mamdani, by contrast, offered boilerplate condolences and silence on his own past rhetoric. Fox News reached out to his campaign for comment. No response. That tells you everything.
Look, no one is saying the police are perfect. But to dismantle, defund, and vilify them in a city as complex and dangerous as New York is reckless at best, and deadly at worst. And when violent crime surges—as it inevitably does in cities that embrace these radical policies—it’s the poor and working-class neighborhoods that suffer the most.
Mamdani’s past isn’t just a footnote; it’s a preview. It’s a window into the kind of ideology that would make New York City even more dangerous, more chaotic, and more unlivable. That’s not leadership—it’s ideological extremism that puts lives at risk.
The American people, and especially New Yorkers, must start connecting the dots. You can’t shout “defund the police” for years and then expect voters to forget when the bullets start flying. The stakes are too high. Lives are on the line. And Mamdani’s record disqualifies him from leading any city—let alone the biggest one in the nation.