The “Big Three” of ABC, CBS, and NBC were ebullient Wednesday morning in celebrating far-left, “young, charismatic, socialist” New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani emerging as the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor as a “seismic...possible harbinger” for America’s future because of his “populist” views “meeting people where they are” with “solutions.”

And, remarkably, prior to their flagship morning news shows on Wednesday, there was only one news brief in the week prior to Election Day.

Unsurprisingly, ABC’s Good Morning America was all-in and the key demographic of shallow, wealthy elites.

Co-host Michael Strahan trumpeted “the election stunner” and its “potential larger political implications” before giving away to chief investigative correspondent Aaron Katersky beaming over voters having made “the surprise choice to back a young, charismatic socialist who promises to make New York City more affordable, signaling they’re ready for a break from the past.”

“Overnight, a seismic shift in New York City politics and a possible harbinger for the Democratic Party. 33-year-old Democratic socialist upstart Zohran Mamdani declaring victory in the Democratic primary for mayor...energizing young voters,” he added.

On the other hand, Katersky was the only network correspondent to bring up his virulently anti-Israel views: “But he has faced criticism over his anti-Israel rhetoric, lack of experience, and how he would pay for an agenda that includes free mass transit and a rent freeze on affordable housing.”

Some Andrew Cuomo talk later, Katersky concluded by saying Mamdani’s win has prompted national Democrats to consider “whether the nation’s largest city is going to lurch to the left at a time that the party is torn over what it stands for and how to answer President Trump.”

Roberts replied with the declaration this could “have broader implication[s] for the Democratic Party,” which senior political correspondent and leftist Rachel Scott agreed with. After touting the “very far-left agenda” focused on “affordability,” she conceded Republicans were eager to tie other Democrats to Mamdani (click “expand”):

It’s being talked about as a political earthquake in New York City, but it has big implications for Democrats nationwide and here’s the reason why. This is the highest profile Democratic primary since President Donald Trump was elected in November and it comes, as you just heard from Aaron, at a time when the party is at a crossroads and so, what was before New York voters here in the city was also — is also facing Democratic voters nationwide. Does this party lean into the older establishment, familiar faces who are well-funded and experienced or does the party now lean to younger voices that are maybe more progressive, more liberal, with less experience? For progressives, this is a good sign for them. They see this as their candidate that ran on a very far left agenda that talked about affordability. They believe this could be a winning message, but older establishment Democrats really question whether or not this can work nationwide. They say, hey, yeah, it works here in New York, but is this a winning message overall for the midterms and later for 2028 as well? I will tell you one — one group that is very happy this morning: Republicans. They are eager to paint him as the face of the Democratic Party. They believe this is not a winning message for Democrats and they believe that, if this is what the Democratic Party is leaning toward, they’re going to have an easier time in the midterms and again in 2028....It could be a seismic shift in Democratic politics, not only here in New York but also across the country.

Shifting to CBS Mornings, co-host Gayle King extolled Mamdani for having “pulled off a huge upset...which may tell us something about the state of national politics here.”

It took until correspondent Jericka Duncan to apply an ideological label, but she only deployed the “socialist” label as “self-described.” Instead, she herself called him “a progressive Muslim American immigrant” with “social media savvy” and rode “a wave of anti-establishment sentiment to a shocking victory.”

“Mamdani, who champions progressive causes like rent freezes and free bus rides paid for by taxing New York City’s wealthiest, jumped out to an unexpected first round lead Tuesday over 67-year-old former New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo,” she added.

Having covered the Cuomo saga, Duncan summarized that hubbub (minus the nursing home deaths) and gave way to CBS News New York’s Marcia Kramer to say this was a way of Democrats deciding they need a more forceful champion

Featured co-host Vladimir Duthiers was totally onboard with Mamdani:

For someone who has progressive ideas, now, whether he can accomplish them, that’s a different story. But meeting people where they are, listening to them and having solutions that they feel speaks to their futures is incredibly powerful.

As he often does, co-host Tony Dokoupil provided welcome common sense: “It’s also who are those people. The Democratic Party is changing. He’s an elite guy with elite parents, and is getting elite voters. He’s losing demographics that used to be the core of the Democratic Party, low-income voters and black voters in particular. Cuomo won both groups.”

Finally on NBC’s Today, co-host Craig Melvin couldn’t even apply a label to Mamdani in the tease:

Political stunner. A major upset in the race for mayor of New York City...33-year-old candidate Zohran Mamdani defeated the former Governor Andrew Cuomo in a closely watched primary. What sparked his meteoric rise? And why this vote could signal a shift for the future of the Democratic Party.

Melvin didn’t do any better in the formal segment, calling him an “upstart politician” who won “the Democratic primary for mayor overnight.”

Correspondent Emilie Ikeda followed suit from Duncan in largely framing the race as Cuomo’s loss, but still found room to celebrate “Democratic socialist” Mamdani’s win as “a political earthquake” that “could write a new playbook for the Democratic Party” using “populist ideas” (click “expand”):

IKEDA: Former Governor Andrew Cuomo had name recognition, major backing, major endorsements, but New York City instead favoring his 33-year-old more progressive opponent, Zohran Mamdani, whose success could write a new playbook for the Democratic Party in the wake of losing the 2024 presidential election. Overnight, a political earthquake in the race to become the next mayor of New York City.

MAMDANI: Tonight, we made history. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] In the words of Nelson Mandela, it always seems impossible until it is done. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

IKEDA: 33-year-old Democratic socialist and New York assembly member Zohran Mamdani taking a clear lead in the primary and declaring victory over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

ANDREW CUOMO: Tonight was Assemblymen Mamdani’s night, and he put together a great campaign.

IKEDA: Mamdani was polling at just one percent a few months ago, but gained prominence online with viral videos and — [WOMAN SCREAMING IN TIKTOK VIDEO] — and a strong debate performance.

MAMDANI [on 06/12/25]: I have never had to resign in disgrace. I have never cut medicaid. I have never stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from the MTA. I have never hounded the 13 women who credibly accused me of sexual harassment. I have never sued for their gynecological records, and they have never done those things because I am not you, Mr. Cuomo.

IKEDA: For Cuomo, it’s a major setback in what would have been the start of his political comeback, nearly four years after resigning in grace as governor following allegations of sexual harassment that he denied. Mamdani ran to the left of Cuomo, focusing on affordability and pushing populist ideas, including free public busses, rent freezes, and city-owned grocery stores funded by higher taxes on the wealthy. Endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mamdani’s success signals a potential ideological and generation shift within the party.

MAMDANI The mayor will use their power to reject Donald Trump’s fascism — [SCREEN WIPE] — and to govern our city as a model for the Democratic Party — [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] — party where we fight for working people with no apology.

IKEDA: And the city will have to wait at least a week for the official results in the Democratic primary. But Mamdani who, if elected, would be the first Muslim mayor of the city is poised to take on the incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, among others, who is now running as an independent after the Trump administration’s Justice Department dropped corruption charges against him. By the way, Cuomo could still throw his hat in the ring for the November election on an independent line, so a lot to watch for[.]

To see the relevant transcripts from June 25, click here (for ABC), here (for CBS), and here (for NBC).