"The state Assemblymember and self-described democratic socialist has been dogged on the campaign trail by comments he made in 2020 in which he called to "Defund this rogue agency" when referencing the city's police department. His stance came during the national uproar over the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, and at the time, he described the NYPD as "racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety.""
"Asked about his previous comments, Mamdani, 33, has said he has worked to make amends with officers in private, though his comments Wednesday on Fox's "The Story with Martha MacCallum" represented his most public attempt to repair his relationship with the department. Mamdani told MacCallum that he had apologized privately to a group of officers "for the language that I used.""
Zohran Mamdani apologized on Fox News for past language criticizing the New York Police Department and said he is looking to work with officers if elected. He directly told President Donald Trump he is willing to speak at any time to lower the cost of living. Mamdani previously called to "Defund this rogue agency" in 2020 and described the NYPD as "racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety." He has since distanced himself from those positions and now pledges to maintain police staffing while creating a Department of Community Safety that would deploy mental health care teams to handle certain calls. He has apologized privately to officers and used the Fox appearance as a public effort to repair relations.
Read at AP News
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