James Carville calls Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral primary victory a ‘potentially damaging event' for Democratic Party
Veteran strategist James Carville warned on Wednesday how democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani winning the New York City mayoral primary may be a burden for the Democratic Party.
Mamdani, a Ugandan-born New York State Assemblyman from Queens, caused a major upset by defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the race to become the Democratic Party's nominee for New York City mayor. Republicans and some Democrats have blasted Mamdani, warning he is a grim sign of America's political future.
Carville, one of the most famous strategists in American politics, has been speaking about the Democratic Party's need to ditch far-left politics since well before the 2024 election. He spoke about Mamdani's surprising victory on his podcast with co-host Al Hunt, warning it may be yet another hurdle for struggling Democrats.
The strategist noted that Mamdani 'has not walked back' calls for 'global infitada' [sic]. Carville was referencing how Mamdani refused to disavow the phrase 'Globalize the intifada,' which pro-Israeli supporters argue is a call for violence, and Israel opponents tout as a mere call to struggle against oppression.
4 Carville warned that Mamdani's victory may be yet another hurdle for struggling Democrats.
Youtube / Politicon
'Maybe he'll turn out to be a very skilled candidate that can skillfully navigate some of what I refer to as 'esoteric' positions,' Carville said, appearing to refer to Mamdani's policy of government-run grocery stores, which bewildered the seasoned strategist.
'There's a lot of baseball left here,' Carville said of the mayoral election. 'We've got a lot of baseball left to play.'
Hunt argued that New York City is not a reliable indicator for America at-large, citing how many of its most iconic mayors did not represent a larger political shift outside of their city.
4 Republicans and some Democrats have blasted Mamdani, warning he is a grim sign of America's political future.
'However, I do believe that Republicans will jump on this,' he said.
He then appeared to refer to Rep. Elise Stefanik's, R-N.Y., comment where she warned about Mamdani being a 'radical, Defund-the-Police, Communist, raging Antisemite.'
Hunt denied that Mamdani is a communist, but argued, 'he does have some issues that the Republicans will love to talk about.'
'I can't imagine that any Democratic candidate anywhere in the country is going to be able to escape answering this question. I think the microphone's going to follow him around. I think that they're going to pound this home as hard as they possibly can,' Carville agreed.
4 Hunt argued that New York City is not a reliable political indicator for America at-large.
Youtube / Politicon
A big part of the answer, Carville replied, is encouraging people to 'look at our nominees in Virginia and New Jersey.'
However, he said, 'Depending on who comes in a general election, there's a lot of Democrats that are going to have a hard go at this. I think it's a potentially damaging event.'
Both of the hosts drew parallels between former President Joe Biden and Cuomo being rejected as symbols of the Democratic Party's past in favor of something entirely new.
4 Supporters celebrate as Zohran Mamdani leads in the Democratic Primary for New York Mayor at the 'Zohran For NYC Election Night Party' in New York City on June 24, 2025.
Derek French/Shutterstock
'Sometimes the Democratic Party's attitude is 'take this and eat it, because you gotta eat it,' and people don't like that,' Carville said, arguing that mentality was enforced on Democrats with Biden and then with Cuomo.
The rejection of this, he said, goes beyond ideology and is a generational shift, one could either be positive or negative for the Democrats' future.
'I think this guy creates probably more problems than opportunities for the Democrats,' Hunt later argued after criticizing his grocery store proposal as 'not realistic at all.'
Carville warned that opposition to Mamdani is going to 'keep unearthing stuff' from his past.
'I mean he's gotta give an umbrella answer for all of this,' he said. 'You know, Harris had the same problem.'
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New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Trump's border czar Tom Homan delivers stark warning to Zohran Mamdani after NYC primary win: ‘Game on'
President Trump's border czar Tom Homan ripped into Zohran Mamdani's mayoral campaign promise to 'kick the fascist ICE out of New York City,' telling the Democratic socialist that it's 'game on.' Homan, who Trump tabbed to serve as the top immigration enforcer in the administration, called out Mamdani on Wednesday — one day after the 33-year-old Queens assemblyman declared victory in the NYC Democratic primary. Mamdani has vowed to 'Trump-Proof' the Big Apple if he were to be elected mayor, claiming the president has 'deployed ICE agents to pluck New Yorkers from their families,' according to his campaign website. Advertisement 6 Border czar Tom Homan speaks to Fox Business's Larry Kudlow outside the White House on June 25, 2025. Fox Business Homan had a short, sweet response to the Mamdani's promise. 'Good luck with that,' Homan told Larry Kudlow during his appearance on Fox Business's 'Kudlow.' Advertisement 'Federal law trumps him every day, every hour of every minute,' Homan added. 'We're going to be in New York City, matter of fact, because it's a sanctuary city and President Trump made it clear a week and a half ago, we're going to double down and triple down on sanctuary cities. 'We're going to concentrate in sanctuary cities because we know they're releasing public safety threats and national security threats back to the street, so we know we've got a problem there.' Homan warned the dark horse politician, who upset former Gov. Andrew Cuomo during Tuesday night's primary, that ICE would have plenty of agents to round up the illegal immigrants in the metropolis. 'We don't have that problem in Florida, where the sheriffs work with us, so we're going to double up and triple up on New York,' Homan said. 'Not only are we going to send more agents to the neighborhood, we are going to increase worksite enforcement tenfold.' Advertisement 6 Zohran Mamdani speaks to his supporters after declaring victory in the New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary on June 24, 2025. Getty Images 6 Federal agents conduct raids in New York City on Jan. 28, 2025. DEA New York Homan lauded current Mayor Eric Adams for helping ICE operations in New York. 'He wants to do the right thing, he wants to be a law and order mayor,' Homan said. Advertisement The White House official said Hizzoner wants the NYPD to work with federal agents on the 'significant public safety threats' and help find the 300,000 missing children trafficked in the US. 'He's in the right mindset, it's just that his hands are tied in many ways,' Homan said about the 64-year-old mayor, who will run as an independent. 6 Federal agents patrol the halls of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javitz Federal Building on June 9, 2025. Getty Images In March, Mamdani made a scene inside the statehouse, shouting at Homan as he walked the halls of the state capital, before publishing the footage six months into his primary campaign. The Astoria, Queens assemblyman was protesting ICE's arrest of former Columbia University student and anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil who had been detained for lying on his visa forms. Mamdani was removed by state troopers during the March 12 stunt but was released without being charged. 6 Federal agents are stationed at immigration court in New York City. Getty Images 6 Protesters take part in a rally for Mahmoud Khalil outside the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan on June 22, 2025. Getty Images Advertisement The Ugandan native has called on his supporters to elect him to fight Trump, who he claims is 'tearing at the fabric of New York City in his second term. 'Zohran Mamdani will fight Trump's attempts to gouge the working class, and deliver a city where everyone can afford a dignified life. He'll ensure our immigrant New Yorkers are protected by strengthening our sanctuary city apparatus: getting ICE out of all City facilities and ending any cooperation, increasing legal support, and protecting all personal data,' the campaign site says.
