NYC Mayor Accuses GOP Candidate of Bigotry Despite Missing Debate
Zohran Mamdani criticized Bruce Blakeman's remarks as 'bigotry and racism' but admitted he had not watched the gubernatorial debate between Blakeman and Gov. Kathy Hochul.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday accused Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman of exhibiting "bigotry and racism," despite admitting he had not watched Blakeman's debate with Gov. Kathy Hochul the previous night.
Mamdani's comments came after a reporter asked him whether he was concerned that Hochul had not addressed Blakeman's claims that the NYC mayor is antisemitic. "So I think, you know, it is hard for anyone to keep up with all of the bigotry and racism that Bruce Blakeman exhibits on a regular basis," Mamdani told reporters. "So I think that the governor did a good job and I'll never fault someone for not being able to catch all of it because that is a fool's errand when it comes to Bruce Blakeman."
Mamdani also stated he had not watched the debate beyond a brief clip. He asserted that Hochul's vision is for a more affordable New York, while Blakeman's seems to be "making life harder for working people." Mamdani cited instances where Blakeman allegedly criticized universal childcare initiatives and proposed cutting Medicaid.
The gubernatorial debate itself opened with discussions on the conduct of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a recent shooting incident in the Bronx. Blakeman criticized Hochul's administration, stating, "Kathy Hochul has made us a sanctuary state." He alleged that his county had previously cooperated with ICE to remove over 2,000 undocumented immigrants with criminal records, but Hochul's policies have hindered such cooperation.
Hochul, in response to Blakeman's remarks about the ICE incident, called his response a "non-answer" and accused him of not condemning ICE's actions. She stated that ICE's conduct was "out of control" in Nassau County and questioned Blakeman's stance on ICE agents' actions during the Bronx operation, suggesting it could have endangered a child. Blakeman countered that the incident "never would have happened" without Hochul's "sanctuary policy."