Robert De Niro has weighed in on the controversy surrounding New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's past comments and associations ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. While De Niro acknowledged that Mamdani's past statements, including calls to "defund the police," were "ridiculous," he maintained that the mayor should still attend the upcoming memorial events.
"I don’t see why he shouldn’t come. He’s the mayor," De Niro stated in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "I haven’t heard him say or do anything yet that would disqualify him from being there. Maybe I’m naive, but you have to give the guy a chance. He’s not a part of what happened."
When pressed on whether he could understand the pain of 9/11 families who have called for Mamdani to stay away, De Niro responded, "I understand their pain, but I still think he should be there."
De Niro suggested that Mamdani could use the memorial event "as a bridge" to unite people, despite acknowledging the absurdity of defunding the police. "Well he did say it. And, of course, it’s ridiculous," De Niro said. "You can’t defund the police. It’s not going to happen. But I still think he should be at the memorial."
The controversy centers on Mamdani's past rhetoric, including labeling the NYPD "racist, anti-queer, and a major threat to public safety" in 2020 amid the George Floyd protests. Furthermore, critics point to Mamdani's associations, such as praising Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has been linked to radical Islam and was named as an alleged co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Mamdani also endorsed a candidate who described 9/11 as an attack linked to "U.S. capitalism, racism, White supremacy, and Islamophobia."
Another point of contention is Mamdani's hiring of Ramzi Kassem as chief counsel. Kassem previously represented Ahmed al-Darbi, who pleaded guilty to war crime charges tied to al Qaeda plots and was the brother-in-law of one of the 9/11 hijackers.
An online petition signed by over 100,000 people, initiated by family members of 9/11 victims, has called for Mamdani's absence from the memorial. Critics also highlight Mamdani's past association with activist Hasan Piker, who made remarks that the U.S. "deserved" the 9/11 attacks, though Piker later walked back those comments.
Commentators have criticized De Niro's stance. Entertainment commentator Christian Toto suggested that The Hollywood Reporter amplified De Niro's views without fact-checking, characterizing the actor as a "Useful Idiot for the Left" lacking information on Mamdani's past. Rafael Mangual of the Manhattan Institute argued that Mamdani's criticisms of the NYPD and his past associations are significant reasons for the families' objections.
Mary Marslender, a Republican consultant, stated that Mamdani has a history of portraying first responders negatively and suggested his stance on defunding the police was for political gain. Elizabeth Pipko, a former RNC National Spokesperson, called De Niro's defense privileged and ignorant, asserting he defends Mamdani due to political alignment rather than factual knowledge.
In contrast to his comments on Mamdani, De Niro offered a sharp critique of former President Donald Trump, stating, "We have to stop him. It’s insane. We have to send people to voting booths and make sure they can go in."