Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) delivered a sharp rebuke against Zohran Mamdani, the leading candidate in New York City’s mayoral race, dismissing him as someone who doesn’t even belong to the Democratic Party and whose views he strongly opposes.
“Everything that I’ve read on him, I don’t really agree with virtually any of it, politically,” Fetterman told Fox News in a candid assessment of the Queens assemblyman’s platform.
“That’s just where I’m at as a Democrat. He’s not even a Democrat, honestly,” Fetterman added, making clear he sees a fundamental divide between Mamdani and the Democratic Party.
The Pennsylvania senator also criticized Mamdani’s primary victory over Andrew Cuomo, calling it a political win for Republicans. “Christmas in July for the GOP,” he said of the upset.
“[It] provided an opportunity for the GOP to brand our party,” Fetterman said, warning that Mamdani’s far-left agenda could damage Democrats’ national image.
Throughout his campaign, Mamdani has backed progressive ideas such as free city bus service, tuition-free CUNY education, a citywide rent freeze, and government-funded childcare and grocery stores.
But Fetterman downplayed the broader significance of Mamdani’s victory, suggesting it has no bearing on the political realities of key swing states. “It’s definitely not Pennsylvania. It’s not Wisconsin. It’s not Nevada. If you look at any of the battleground states, New York City has no actual relevance to the kinds of states and the kind of races which determine that in 2028,” he argued.
“Is it going to be useful for attack campaigns? Absolutely,” he continued. “He’s a gift to the Republicans in that way, but there’s no lessons to be learned.”
“There’s no special kind of insight. For New York City, politically, that’s a circus mirror of the reality of politics and the politics of our country,” Fetterman concluded, painting Mamdani’s campaign as unrepresentative of the broader electorate.
The upcoming general election could feature a chaotic lineup, with Mamdani potentially facing independent challenger Jim Walden, current Mayor Eric Adams—who’s also running as an independent—and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who’s looking to reclaim political ground.
Meanwhile, Republican Curtis Sliwa, co-founder of the Guardian Angels, is positioned as the GOP’s candidate for the city’s top office.

{Matzav.com}