NYC mayoral debate erupts as Zohran Mamdani faces brutal takedown over zero job experience.NH
Mayoral hopefuls Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa viciously sparred in a fiery first debate Thursday, trading blows over inexperience, past scandals and Israel — with President Trump looming over the spectacle.
The debate’s first 30 minutes were marked by bitter back-and-forths between Mamdani, 33, the socialist Democratic nominee, and Cuomo, 67, the former governor running as an independent.
“If the assemblyman is elected mayor, Donald Trump will take over New York City and it will be Mayor Trump who runs New York,” Cuomo said, storming out of the gate by slamming the Queens state assemblyman’s relative lack of political experience.
NYC Mayoral Debate analysis
“He has literally never had a job,” Cuomo charged, adding, “God forbid — a 9/11, a health pandemic” should happen while he’s in office.”
“If you don’t know what you’re doing, people literally will die,” he said, adding failed mayors historically have been those without executive experience.
Here are some key moments from the first NYC Mayoral Debate
“This is not a job for a first timer.”
Mamdani was quick to fire back – accusing Cuomo of failed leadership leading to excess COVID-19 deaths during the pandemic.
“And if we have a health pandemic, then why would New Yorkers turn back to the governor who sent senior to their deaths in nursing homes?” he said.
When the ex-gov claimed he’ll fight Trump every step of the way if he tries to hurt New York, Mamdani pounced with a pointed retort pointing out Cuomo’s tepid response to Trump’s Department of Justice prosecuting state Attorney General Letitia James.
“Unless he weaponizes the justice system to go after the attorney general of the state, in which case you’ll issue a statement that doesn’t even name the president,” he said.
Standing between the other two contenders, Sliwa attacked them over bail reforms, the Raise the Age laws and the plan to close Rikers Island.
