Zohran Mamdani’s recent appearance on Fox News with Martha MacCallum did not go the way his campaign hoped; when pressed on whether Hamas should lay down its weapons he repeatedly sidestepped and redirected the conversation to local issues like affordability. That dodge was unmistakable on camera and left anchors and viewers asking why a mayoral candidate won’t plainly condemn a terrorist organization’s conduct.
This is the same self-described democratic socialist who surged to the top of the Democratic primary with grand promises to “tax the rich” and remake New York’s economy, even saying he doesn’t believe billionaires should exist. Voters deserve to know exactly how he will fund free buses, universal childcare, and city-run groceries without driving away the very taxpayers who pay a disproportionate share of the city’s bills.
Conservative critics have been right to warn that punitive tax hikes and hostile rhetoric toward wealthy New Yorkers could trigger an exodus that would gut the city’s revenue base and wreck municipal services. Economies don’t thrive on slogans; they require stable policy that keeps jobs and capital inside the city rather than on a one-way ticket to lower-tax states.
Mamdani also used the Fox platform to apologize to the NYPD for past comments and to insist his focus is on affordability — a pivot that smells more like political damage control than a clear plan. Apologies are welcome if sincere, but they don’t erase a record of radical positions or the practical consequences of reckless taxation and governance.
Commentators on the right and independent outlets seized on the interview, with talk-show hosts and podcasters — including Dave Rubin — posting clips and rightly noting how the exchange underscored the contrast between Mamdani’s rhetoric and what voters need in a mayor. When a candidate can’t clearly denounce terrorism and can’t detail credible funding for massive new entitlements, that’s a legitimate red flag for every voter who cares about safety and solvency.
New York deserves leaders who put public safety, fiscal responsibility, and common-sense policy first, not ideologues who dodge hard questions and promise utopia at everyone else’s expense. Voters should insist on straight answers, realistic budgets, and a commitment to defend the city from threats foreign and domestic — anything less is a gamble this city can’t afford.
