Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent in the New York City mayoral race, said Tuesday that his Democratic competitor Zohran Mamdani would hurt the morale of local police if elected.
Cuomo, in his criticism, pointed to Mamdani’s past statements about the New York Police Department (NYPD), including allegations of widespread racial discrimination.
“Who would want to work for a mayor who basically called — not basically — did call the police officers racists? I think he would aggravate what is already a bad situation. And I don’t think he understands the importance of the NYPD and the importance of public safety,” Cuomo said during an appearance on CNN’s “The Arena.”
“And something like this happens, and then it really is a reality check for all this political theory and political hype that we have going on in this country, with the extreme left postulating these theories that have no connection to reality,” he told host Kasie Hunt.
Mamdani, a Ugandan immigrant and Democratic socialist, was recently criticized for previous posts condemning local police in 2020, a year filled with racial tensions and reports of police brutality.
Citizens decried the 2014 death of Eric Garner, who was strangled to death by an NYPD officer.
“All this misery. All for money. In the last budget, the City Council tried to make the NYPD reduce its overtime budget by half. They simply refused. There is no negotiating with an institution this wicked & corrupt,” Mamdani wrote online in December 2020, according to Fox News. “Defund it. Dismantle it. End the cycle of violence.”
During a primary debate, Mamdani said he has no plans to defund the police. However, Cuomo said his opponent was making “politics of public safety” and noted that his past rhetoric could negatively impact the current force if Mamdani was elected.
“I was governor for 11 years, Kasie. And every morning, it could be, God forbid, another 9/11,” the former governor said during the interview. “It could be a Hurricane Sandy. It could be a COVID pandemic. And this city is very diverse, very concentrated. It is a delicate balance.”
“And public safety is job one. And when you talk about defunding the police, dismantling the police department, that they are racists, that they are anti-queer, and you demoralize them to the point where they’re quitting at record levels, you can’t hire new police, that is a dangerous situation,” he continued “You’re creating a dangerous situation.”
His remarks come just days after four people were killed, including an NYPD officer, and a fifth seriously injured during a shooting in Manhattan. The suspect, 27-year-old Shane Tamura, was also among the victims after a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The city’s mayoral candidates, including Cuomo and Mamdani, condemned the incident and thanked the first responders and NYPD for their efforts. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is also running as an independent, also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims.