{"id":11829,"date":"2025-07-30T21:18:06","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T21:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/mamdani-returns-swipes-away-defund-the-police-past\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T21:18:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T21:18:06","slug":"mamdani-returns-swipes-away-defund-the-police-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/mamdani-returns-swipes-away-defund-the-police-past\/","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani returns, swipes away Defund the Police past"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

With help from Amira McKee<\/i><\/p>\n

\"New<\/p>\n

\u2018OUT OF STEP:\u2019 <\/b>Zohran Mamdani distanced himself from \u201cdefund the police\u201d posts he made in 2020, saying today they were made \u201camidst a frustration that many New Yorkers held at the murder of George Floyd.\u201d He said multiple times that the posts were \u201cclearly out of step\u201d with his current view of policing and his campaign platform.<\/p>\n

The Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City was speaking at a press conference held hours after he returned from an 11-day vacation to Uganda.<\/p>\n

Mamdani has faced backlash over his past comments critical of the NYPD following the city\u2019s deadliest mass shooting in 25 years, where four people, including an off-duty police officer, were killed in Midtown Manhattan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not defunding the police; I am not running to defund the police,\u201d Mamdani told reporters today. \u201cOver the course of this race, I\u2019ve been very clear about my view of public safety and the critical role that the police have in creating that public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was little the NYPD could have done to stop the shooter, who drove in from out of state and was in public only briefly before he began pulling the trigger. Still, the tragedy has resulted in an outpouring of support for the department and its members, and has raised questions about how Mamdani would lead the force as mayor, POLITICO reports.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Mamdani is returning to a city where polling shows him as the clear favorite, and he\u2019ll try to maintain that lead through the tumult of a crowded general election in an unpredictable city. His opponents have homed in on his relatively limited political and management experience, and the past few days have served as a test of how the democratic socialist frontrunner would respond to a crisis \u2014 and the pressure that entails.<\/p>\n

During the news conference, Mamdani stood with the Bangladeshi American Police Association, of which slain NYPD officer Didarul Islam was a member, and building service workers union 32BJ, which represented Aland Etienne, an office security guard who died in the attack.<\/p>\n

Like other Democrats, Mamdani placed blame for the shooting on easy access to firearms.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter how strong our gun laws are in this state, they are only as strong as the weakest laws in our nation,\u201d he said. \u201cI echo the call from Governor Hochul for a nationwide ban on assault rifles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mamdani also slammed his opponent Andrew Cuomo for criticizing his prior calls to defund the police in the aftermath of the shooting, saying it was a way for Cuomo to \u201cscore such cynical political points.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to honor the New Yorkers who have been taken from us far too soon,\u201d Mamdani said. \u201cAnd yet, here we have a former governor calling every reporter he can find to speak about tweets. What kind of leadership is that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said it was fair game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI liken that to every time there is a mass shooting, Republicans say it\u2019s not the time to talk gun control,\u201d he said in a statement. \u201cThis is very much the time to talk about what our candidates for mayor said then vs. now.\u201d \u2014 Jeff Coltin & Jason Beeferman<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\"New<\/p>\n

A LONG FIGHT AHEAD FOR REDISTRICTING AMENDMENT: <\/b>On the same morning that Texas Republicans unveiled a potential gerrymander to create five new Republican-friendly congressional seats, New York Democrats officially introduced a constitutional amendment that would let them make mid-decade changes to the Empire State\u2019s maps.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t expect any imminent or drastic action in New York, POLITICO Pro reported today<\/a>. Any amendment couldn\u2019t be approved any earlier than November 2027. That means any new lines wouldn\u2019t take effect until 2028, even if they can avoid legal hiccups and court-ordered stays that spring.<\/p>\n

And the new maps would still need to adhere to existing prohibitions on gerrymandering \u2014 so don\u2019t expect districts combining Staten Island with Plattsburgh, as you might see in other states.<\/p>\n

The amendment is sure to be at the center of an extremely expensive battle at the ballot box if it moves forward. A different proposal to change the redistricting process was defeated as a referendum in 2021 \u2014 a year with mayoral races that drove out more Democrats than can be expected in 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the perfect type of legislation to beat at the ballot box,\u201d state Conservative Party Chair Gerard Kassar said. \u201cFrankly, it\u2019s likely to turn out the vote and help us elect other officials.\u201d<\/p>\n

Democrats are hopeful they\u2019ll be better prepared this time around, though.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would hope for a campaign from the national party, from the state party, from other interested parties,\u201d Senate Deputy Leader Mike Gianaris said. \u201cThis is something with national implications, so I would hope there\u2019d be a huge effort.\u201d \u2014 Bill Mahoney<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

MAP FIGHT:<\/b> Despite the severely limited menu of options for New York Democrats to redraw House lines before the 2026 midterm elections, Hochul today signaled she\u2019s in ongoing talks over the issue.<\/p>\n

In a statement to Playbook, Hochul blasted Texas GOP lawmakers for revising their House lines \u2014 a change that will add five additional seats Trump carried by double digits.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not going to sit by while Donald Trump and Texas Republicans try to steal this nation\u2019s future,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve been in active talks with local and national leaders, and in the coming days we\u2019ll meet to align on our next move.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hochul has spoken with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffires about redistricting in New York, as red states \u2014 including Texas and Ohio \u2014 move forward with changing their maps this year.<\/p>\n

Two state lawmakers have proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow New York to redistrict mid-decade, but such a change would not be in place soon enough to impact the high-stakes House races next year. \u2014 Nick Reisman\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\"Gov.<\/p>\n

CHILD HEALTH CARE ROLLBACK: <\/b>A new federal policy slated to take effect in 2027 will jeopardize health insurance coverage for more than 750,000 children in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul said today.<\/p>\n

The Democratic governor bashed President Donald Trump\u2019s administration in a statement, calling the rollback of programs that provide continuous Medicaid coverage a \u201cmisguided policy\u201d that \u201cthreatens the progress we\u2019ve made in keeping young children connected to care,\u201d POLITICO Pro\u2019s Katelyn Cordero reports.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

The federal government last year approved New York\u2019s proposal<\/a> for continuous Medicaid and Child Health Plus<\/a> coverage for enrollees up to the age of 6. The state is now required to roll back that policy by 2027.<\/p>\n

New York\u2019s continuous coverage policy was implemented this year under a federal waiver. It requires continued access to health care for children regardless of changes to family income.<\/p>\n

The waiver will not be revoked, but the Hochul administration received a letter from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services indicating that it will not be renewed in 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will use every tool at our disposal to protect access to Medicaid and Child Health Plus for the more than 750,000 young children across New York State who depend on it for a healthy start in life,\u201d Hochul said in her statement. <\/b>\u2014 Katelyn Cordero<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

QUIT POLITICKIN\u2019:<\/b> Senate Republicans are decrying one of Hochul\u2019s commissioners for using government resources to promote attacks against Republicans in D.C.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understand Governor Hochul is gearing up for a tough re-election, but the use of state resources to amplify partisan messaging must cease immediately,\u201d the GOP state lawmakers wrote in a letter<\/a> to Barbara Guinn, commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.<\/p>\n

Guinn, who was appointed by Hochul to lead the office in 2023, penned an op-ed with Democratic state Sen. Roxanne Persaud criticizing the GOP\u2019s \u201cOne Big Beautiful Bill Act.\u201d Her agency \u2014 which is tasked with overseeing food, heat and cash assistance programs \u2014 then shared the opinion piece on its government website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are struggling to put enough food on the table and also struggling to find gainful employment, Republicans in Washington, including seven representing New York State, say you are on your own,\u201d Guinn wrote in the piece, adding that the federal bill \u201ccruelly slashes SNAP in ways that were previously unthinkable.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a separate letter<\/a> sent to state lawmakers under government letterhead, she also decried how \u201cactions by the federal GOP will likely lead to limited benefit access,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n

While Hochul freely uses her taxpayer-funded communications team to slam Republicans in Congress and the White House, many unelected commissioners in Albany steer clear of partisan attacks.<\/p>\n

Senate Republicans are arguing that Guinn crossed a line: \u201cThese talking points are best left to the Democratic National Committee, not parroted by a state agency that performs vital public service,\u201d they wrote in their letter.<\/p>\n

Guinn\u2019s office did not respond to a request for comment. \u2014 Jason Beeferman<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\u2014 ALL AGAINST MAMDANI: <\/b>Five separate groups have emerged, all planning to raise millions of dollars to defeat Mamdani. (The New York Times<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u2014 OLD VS. NEW:<\/b> 26-year-old Liam Elkind is launching a primary challenge to 78-year-old Rep. Jerry Nadler, saying he no longer has the energy nor mindset for the job. (CNN<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\u2014 BRONX CASINO BID IS ALIVE: <\/b>The mayor vetoed a measure from the City Council that some thought permanently ended the chances of a Bronx casino. (POLITICO Pro<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Missed this morning\u2019s New York Playbook? We forgive you. <\/b>Read it here<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With help from Amira McKee \u2018OUT OF STEP:\u2019 Zohran Mamdani distanced himself from \u201cdefund the police\u201d posts he made in 2020, saying today they were made \u201camidst a frustration that many New Yorkers held at the murder of George Floyd.\u201d He said multiple times that the posts were \u201cclearly out of step\u201d with his current […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11830,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11829\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}