In the recent New York City mayoral debate, Democratic contenders engaged in a heated exchange over the contentious issue of defunding the police, a stance that was once a rallying cry for progressive activists.
The candidates also deliberated on the best strategies to counter President Donald Trump, particularly in relation to his stringent policies on illegal immigration.
According to Fox News, the current frontrunner in the race, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, criticized his fellow candidates for their previous support of defunding the police. He stated, "We have to admit what we did wrong. The people on the stage, almost without exception, were all defund the police and now they're calling for more police. We wouldn't need more police if we didn't defund them in the first place."
This statement sparked a flurry of counter-accusations, with several candidates alleging that Cuomo himself had spearheaded the defunding movement, a claim he vehemently denied.
While some candidates advocated for an increased police presence in the city, others proposed the deployment of "mental health outreach workers" in areas of high need. Progressive New York state Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani suggested, "We are going to put together dedicated teams of mental health outreach workers who will be deployed to the top hundred subway stations with the highest levels of mental health crisis and homelessness."
Hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson attributed the rise of Trump's popularity among New York City voters to the far-left positions of candidates like Mamdani. He argued, "I do think we Democrats have to stop giving Trump gifts. When we let ourselves be defined by our far left, by socialists, with their defund the police nonsense and open borders, et cetera." He further criticized the call to defund and dismantle the NYPD as "madness," claiming that such radical views have cost the Democrats elections and led to a rise in Trump's share of the New York City vote.
The candidates also addressed the surge in crime and shoplifting in the city, debating whether the bail reforms enacted under Cuomo's administration were responsible for the spike. Michael Blake, a former Obama aide, proposed a "guaranteed" median income as a solution to the rising shoplifting rates. He argued, "If we help New Yorkers make and keep more money in their pocket in the first place, then we wouldn't have people speaking about shoplifting."
On the topic of Trumps crackdown on illegal immigration, the candidates largely reaffirmed New York Citys sanctuary city status and advocated for further restrictions on local polices cooperation with ICE. Current city council speaker Adrienne Adams, when asked about her stance on immigration enforcement, declared, "my mission is and will be to protect the immigrants." She pledged to use her position to warn immigrants about potential federal immigration enforcement operations.
New York City comptroller Brad Lander vowed to establish a network within the city government to enforce New Yorks sanctuary laws and "absolutely warn people before they walk into ICE." State senator Zellnor Myrie and Democratic New York state senator Jessica Ramos echoed these sentiments, with Ramos expressing her intent to use city tax resources to combat Trumps immigration crackdown.
Cuomo, recalling previous confrontations with Trump over immigration, asserted, "This is not the first time he's brought ICE to New York. He's done that before and we fought him and we won." He confidently stated, "I am the last person on this stage that Mr. Trump wants to see as mayor. And that's why I should be the first choice for the people of this city to have as mayor."
Current New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent, did not participate in the debate.
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