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New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Take a good look at LA's riots, New York — the wrong mayor will make them ours
Five years ago this month, chaos engulfed New York City's streets. The turmoil that followed the killing of George Floyd saw hundreds of NYPD officers injured in melees featuring fists, bricks and Molotov cocktails. Looters robbed storefronts, smashing windows and making off with millions in stolen goods. As early voting begins in the mayoral primary, New Yorkers must decide what type of leader they want when the going gets tough. 4 Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani stands on the debate stage at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater. via REUTERS Advertisement Weak mayors have floundered under the pressure of civil unrest. In 1991, David Dinkins allowed the Crown Heights rioters to 'vent' their anger for three days — by terrorizing Jewish residents and shopkeepers. Progressive Bill de Blasio sympathized with Black Lives Matter marchers in the summer of 2020, saying, 'For all of us who know white privilege, we have to do more because we don't even fully recognize the daily pain that racism in this society causes.' Advertisement At then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo's prompting, de Blasio placed the city under the first curfew since 1945. Cops were first told to enforce it — then not to. 4 A protester smashes a Waymo vehicle with a skateboard in LA. AFP via Getty Images Demonstrators defied the order. As turbulence continued, the bumbling de Blasio took enormous heat from the left for defending police tactics that ultimately reined in the unruly crowds. Months later, he lamented that cops had used 'excessive enforcement,' adding, 'I look back with remorse.' Advertisement History is rhyming: Similar scenes have erupted recently in Los Angeles, Portland, Chicago, Seattle and other cities against President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement actions. Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters In LA, the current epicenter, look no further than Mayor Karen Bass for a master class in failing to meet the moment. Amid burned-out driverless cabs and looted luxury stores, Bass pointed the finger at Trump, saying her 'biggest fear is the impact that all Angelenos will begin to feel when the labor of immigrants is absent.' Advertisement New York, for now, has prevented the worst of LA-style chaos. For that, Mayor Eric Adams and Jessica Tisch, his first-rate police commissioner, deserve recognition. 4 Former governor of New York Andrew Cuomo who runs for NYC mayor as an independent, speaks during a Democratic mayoral primary debate, at NBC's 30 Rockefeller Center studios in New York on June 4, 2025. POOL/AFP via Getty Images But the prospect for greater civil unrest in New York raises the stakes for the mayoral election. Gotham voters must decide: When protests get out of hand, who should they trust to restore peace and order? At Thursday's debate, Cuomo crowed that Trump never sent the National Guard to New York to quell the city's riots in 2020. 'Donald Trump only picks fights that he can win. He cannot win a fight with me as mayor of New York,' he said. Cuomo is walking a fine line: Convincing Democrats he's tough enough to confront Trump, but also able to win the peace through a begrudging mutual respect. Advertisement The other leading contender, Zohran Mamdani, instead lamented that the NYPD is assisting federal immigration enforcement, vowing that would stop under his leadership. In the first half of 2020, Mamdani was a first-time assembly candidate who had just abandoned his ill-fated rap career. Backed by the Democratic Socialists, he committed to an 'Agenda for Decarceration' that included pledges to eliminate cash bail entirely, decriminalize simple drug possession and sex work, and 'fight the construction of new carceral facilities.' As that summer's violence spilled out across city streets, he was one of the leading singers in the chorus to defund the police, demanding a $1 billion cut. Advertisement In one Facebook post, he blasted a proposal to move $300 million from the NYPD budget to the education budget, calling it an attempt 'to take credit for defunding the police without actually doing it.' Scott Stringer and Brad Lander, once fellow police-defunders, have since moderated. To their credit, they now support hiring more officers, as does Cuomo. Mamdani, however, is a true believer. 4 A demonstrator holds two posters reading 'China La Migration' and 'Fuck ICE' in front of burning Waymo cars as protesters clash with law enforcement near the federal building during a protest in response to federal immigration operations in Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement He still wants to redirect $1.1 billion from the NYPD to create a new department focused on mental health teams and 'gun violence interrupter' programs. With the police force already at a three-decade staffing low and struggling to recruit, Mamdani's plan could leave New Yorkers without cops when the city needs them most. If — and when — violence spills out into the streets, who would restore order? Between rising antisemitism, elevated levels of felony assaults — including against police officers — and the high likelihood of local resistance efforts against the Trump administration, the next mayor must be prepared to confront turmoil on New York's streets. Advertisement With zero executive experience, the 33-year-old Mamdani has never been responsible for guaranteeing the public's safety. If he became mayor, he'd have to learn how to deal with protests in on-the-job training — putting him at an immediate disadvantage against Trump, who understands the political upside of restoring order. Mamdani recently said the best mayor of his lifetime was Bill de Blasio. New Yorkers must decide whether they want the sequel. John Ketcham is director of cities and a legal policy fellow at the Manhattan Institute. All views expressed are those of the author and not the Manhattan Institute.
New York Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Andrew Cuomo for Mayor? Bill de Blasio Has Thoughts, None of Them Good.
For months, Bill de Blasio has watched quietly as his old nemesis, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, attempts to stage a comeback by running for mayor of New York City. But with Mr. Cuomo leading in the polls as the June 24 primary nears, Mr. de Blasio — whose own mayoralty was frequently undermined by Mr. Cuomo — has decided to end his silence. In a searing interview, Mr. de Blasio said Mr. Cuomo hurt the city as governor, compared him to President Trump and said he was not the proven, competent manager he claims to be. Mr. de Blasio said Mr. Cuomo lacked the temperament, honesty and integrity needed to effectively run the nation's largest city. 'He is a vindictive person,' Mr. de Blasio said. 'He's a bully. He's obsessed with revenge.' Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat who served as mayor from 2014 through 2021, argued that Mr. Cuomo, who moved to New York City last year, is an outsider who does not understand the city and its needs. 'I had endless conversations with him about what was going on in New York City,' he said of Mr. Cuomo, who was governor for almost Mr. de Blasio's entire mayoralty before resigning in disgrace. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
10 Questions With Bill de Blasio About Andrew Cuomo's Run for Mayor
The feud between former Mayor Bill de Blasio and former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is one of the most bitter in New York City history. Mr. Cuomo's run for mayor this year has reopened some of Mr. de Blasio's wounds. In a blistering 30-minute interview, Mr. de Blasio revisited his disastrous relationship with Mr. Cuomo, accusing him of undermining the city and saying he was unworthy of being mayor. Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Mr. Cuomo, said Mr. de Blasio's comments were in bad faith and accused him of allowing the city to fall into decline and embarrassing himself by trying to run for president. Here are excerpts from the interview. It was edited for length and clarity. No. I think Andrew Cuomo would simply deepen the troubled status quo in the city. The city has become profoundly unaffordable. A lot of that is because of policies he put in place at the state level. And it's quite clear his interests align with the wealthy and the powerful and the real estate community. So he is not someone I would depend on to address the affordability issue. When he was governor, the state never created a meaningful affordable housing program that really reached deep into New York City. My administration created an initiative to house 300,000 families. We never got meaningful support from the state. We didn't get support in terms of dealing with homelessness. We didn't get support in terms of dealing with public housing. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
De Blasio watches with glee as candidates attack Cuomo in NYC mayoral debate
NEW YORK — As mayoral hopefuls in Thursday night's Democratic primary debate landed sharp rejoinders against frontrunner Andrew Cuomo, one of the former governor's old foes broke out the popcorn. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio fired off a series ofgleeful postson X that reveled in the broadsides against Cuomo and lauded the performances of Comptroller Brad Lander, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who is polling second behind Cuomo. 'Wow, @andrewcuomo is REALLY scared of @ZohranKMamdani! He's not even faking it…' de Blasio wrote. 'And Andrew is REALLY disrespecting all the New Yorkers who support Zohran.' City Comptroller Brad Lander was 'attacking consistently and really rattling Cuomo,' wrote de Blasio, who said the former governor's self-proclaimed executive experience consisted of harassing female employees and making decisions that resulted in the death of nursing home residents during Covid. The ex-mayor — who spent eight years being tormented by the former governor over issues as quotidian as how to euthanize a deer — called into question the governor's housing record, accused him of dodging a question about the Rent Guidelines Board and lampooned Cuomo's characterization of the subway as infested with crime. The former governor, of course, had responses for the attacks coming from the dais. He said a report that found he sexually harassed underlings — accusations he has denied — did not result in any criminal charges and was created to hurt him politically. He said his nursing home edicts were consistent with federal guidance during the height of Covid. He has cast the city as poorly run and falling into disrepair on account of the leadership of de Blasio and his successor, New York City Mayor Eric Adams. And he had sharp responses to Mamdani and others over their own legislative records and policies far to the left of his own. But de Blasio's sustained pile-on reinforced the acrimonious relationship between the two executives and appeared to be almost cathartic for the the former mayor. 'Is @andrewcuomo mimicking dialogue from the 1950's?' de Blasio wrote. 'I fully expect Gregory Peck or Jimmy Stewart to join him on stage.' Asked over text message Thursday night if he planned to make an endorsement, de Blasio took a much more laconic approach: "Nope."
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
De Blasio watches with glee as candidates attack Cuomo in NYC mayoral debate
NEW YORK — As mayoral hopefuls in Thursday night's Democratic primary debate landed sharp rejoinders against frontrunner Andrew Cuomo, one of the former governor's old foes broke out the popcorn. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio fired off a series ofgleeful postson X that reveled in the broadsides against Cuomo and lauded the performances of Comptroller Brad Lander, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who is polling second behind Cuomo. 'Wow, @andrewcuomo is REALLY scared of @ZohranKMamdani! He's not even faking it…' de Blasio wrote. 'And Andrew is REALLY disrespecting all the New Yorkers who support Zohran.' City Comptroller Brad Lander was 'attacking consistently and really rattling Cuomo,' wrote de Blasio, who said the former governor's self-proclaimed executive experience consisted of harassing female employees and making decisions that resulted in the death of nursing home residents during Covid. The ex-mayor — who spent eight years being tormented by the former governor over issues as quotidian as how to euthanize a deer — called into question the governor's housing record, accused him of dodging a question about the Rent Guidelines Board and lampooned Cuomo's characterization of the subway as infested with crime. The former governor, of course, had responses for the attacks coming from the dais. He said a report that found he sexually harassed underlings — accusations he has denied — did not result in any criminal charges and was created to hurt him politically. He said his nursing home edicts were consistent with federal guidance during the height of Covid. He has cast the city as poorly run and falling into disrepair on account of the leadership of de Blasio and his successor, New York City Mayor Eric Adams. And he had sharp responses to Mamdani and others over their own legislative records and policies far to the left of his own. But de Blasio's sustained pile-on reinforced the acrimonious relationship between the two executives and appeared to be almost cathartic for the the former mayor. 'Is @andrewcuomo mimicking dialogue from the 1950's?' de Blasio wrote. 'I fully expect Gregory Peck or Jimmy Stewart to join him on stage.' Asked over text message Thursday night if he planned to make an endorsement, de Blasio took a much more laconic approach: "Nope."
