Mayor Candidate Zohran Mamdani Faces Backlash Over NYPD Officer Visit

NEW YORK, NY — Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is under fire after visiting the family of NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, who was killed in a recent mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan. Critics have resurfaced Mamdani’s past support for defunding the police, alleging that he is altering his stance for political gain.

Following a trip to Uganda where he celebrated his wedding, Mamdani visited Officer Islam’s family to offer condolences. The visit came after a tragic incident where a shooter, Shane Tamura, killed Islam and three others on a Monday evening.

In a post shared on X, Mamdani expressed his sorrow, stating, “Two days ago, an act of senseless violence took the lives of Officer Didarul Islam, Wesley LePatner, Aland Etienne, and Julia Hyman. Today, I visited Officer Islam’s family and learned of his legacy.” However, the post quickly attracted criticism, with users referencing his previous stance on police funding.

Commentators pointed to a post from 2020 where Mamdani called to “defund the police,” leading many to question his current motives. One user remarked, “You can’t go from defund the police to never mind I love the police.” Another accused him of hypocrisy, saying he lacks “loyalty to America.”

At a press conference after visiting the officer’s family, Mamdani responded to the backlash, saying, “I am not defunding the police; I am not running to defund the police.” He emphasized that he supports maintaining the police force while advocating for reduced overtime budgets.

During the height of the defunding movement, Mamdani called for significant cuts to the NYPD budget, claiming it was a racist and corrupt institution. He reflected on those past comments, stating they stemmed from the frustration surrounding the murder of George Floyd.

Despite his clarifications, skepticism endures, with many political observers and police officers doubting his change of heart. In the wake of Officer Islam’s death, former Governor Andrew Cuomo and current Mayor Eric Adams have criticized Mamdani’s response, suggesting he is leveraging the tragedy for political advantage.

Mamdani countered, expressing frustration over the politicization of the tragedy, saying, “It is beyond me that politicians are looking to use these days to score such cynical political points.”

All three, Mamdani, Cuomo, and Adams, are set to attend Officer Islam’s funeral scheduled for Thursday.