Zohran Mamdani, back from Uganda, insists he won't defund the police

Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani set the record straight Wednesday in his first public remarks since a mass shooting rocked New York City: He will not defund the police, despite what his old tweets say.

Mamdani held a press conference with 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich to honor the four victims killed during the shooting at 345 Park Ave on Monday evening. Among the victims was Aland Etienne, a building security guard who was a 32BJ SEIU member. The shooting suspect, Las Vegas resident Shane Tamura, seems to have suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and there are early indications he was targeting the NFL which had offices in the building along with Blackstone, KPMG and others. Tamura shot himself in the chest on the 33rd floor of the building.

The tragedy unfolded while Mamdani was on vacation in Uganda. Critics, including former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, quickly slammed Mamdani for his absence and for his past public safety platforms. Speaking with Politico New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Mamdani had an “abhorrent” position on public safety that is “wholly disconnected from any responsible government approach.” Cuomo and others have specifically referred to Mamdani’s resurfaced “defund the police” tweets from 2020, but Mamdani emphasized those previous statements do not align with the way he views police and the “important work they do” now.

“My statements in 2020 were ones made amidst a frustration that many New Yorkers held at the murder of George Floyd, and the inability to deliver on what Eric Adams of all people describe as the right for all of us to be able to enjoy safety and justice, and we need not choose between the two,” Mamdani said at the press conference.


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