Democratic Socialist New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani took a national media victory lap of sorts by appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press. The interview amounted to little more than the gentlest of tongue baths for Mamdani, in stark contrast for the hectoring treatment afforded to conservatives by host Kristen Welker.
After initial gushing and pleasantries, Welker asks Mamdani about his tax increase proposal. Here you will find an early trend. Zero interruptions on the tax question, Mamdani gets to make his points unabated.
Zohran Mamdani, in tax increases: “What we have shown is the ability to take a nonstarter and do the inevitable.” How many taxpayers did that just snap to Florida, Tennessee, the Carolinas, et al? pic.twitter.com/fAm5eTyWR6
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) June 29, 2025
There is no pointing at Mamdani with her ubiquitous pen, no “but what do you say to New Yorkers who are concerned about tax increases”, no “let me put a fine point on that.” The socialist gets calm dialogue, as opposed to constant hectoring and interruption.
Moving on to the city-run stores question: Mamdani doubles and triples down on his proposal to set up government-run stores within the city, again with minimal follow-up:
Mamdani doubles down on his wild city supermarkets proposal: pic.twitter.com/x9MmjiwP1P
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) June 29, 2025
Setting up John Catsimatidis as the foil to the city grocery stores idea is deliberate, inasmuch as it allows the issue to be falsely framed as one of opposition to billionaires. This avoids asking the question of the impact this idea may have on the city’s bodegas, which serve a decidedly more blue-collar clientele.
Here is where Welker’s friendliness really pays off for Mamdani: he is allowed to dance his way out of his campaign proposal to raise property taxes on “whiter” neighborhoods with doublespeak about inequities in the property tax system. Note how Welker helpfully frames the proposal before asking her proforma followup:
Mamdani, on his campaign proposal to raise property taxes on “whiter” neighborhoods: “It’s not driven by race.” pic.twitter.com/RfywiAK9yu
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) June 29, 2025
Let’s see how Welker reacts the next time a Republican says “I think I’m just naming things as they are” on any of the issues of the day, and let’s see what that followup looks like.
Moving right along, Mamdani is allowed to assert with no followup that billionaires should not exist. No followup or “fine point” in the face of class violence such as the shooting of United Healthcare’s CEO on a New York City street.
WELKER: You are self-described Democratic Socialist. Do you think that billionaires have a right to exist?
MAMDANI: (LOL) I don’t think that we should have billionaires because frankly it is so much money in a moment of such inequality and ultimately what we need more of is… pic.twitter.com/1aPAK3sPKm
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) June 29, 2025
Next, Welker asks Mamdani to weigh in on President Donald Trump’s reaction to his primary win.
WELKER: Well, let me ask you about what Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has had to say. He has had a lot to say about your campaign, he called you a “communist”. Because he is the president, I want to give you a chance to respond directly to him. How do you… pic.twitter.com/yp2M7JkcA5
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) June 29, 2025
Mamdani pivots away from Trump’s real calling Mamdani a “communist” to imagined remarks with racial undertones. Again, Welker offers no resistance or so much as an elementary fact check.
Welker asks the obligatory sanctuary question, to which Mamdani responds in the affirmative, and threatens to resist ICE.
WELKER: Are you committed to keeping New York as a sanctuary city?
MAMDANI: Absolutely. Because, ultimately, we’ve seen that this is a policy that has kept New Yorkers safe for decades.
*The woman burned alive on the F train was unavailable for comment. pic.twitter.com/Diwcl7OPOV
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) June 29, 2025
Mamdani triples down on keeping NYC a sanctuary city, and indicates he would end cooperation with ICE. pic.twitter.com/ZJW08Zl7uh
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) June 29, 2025
The record reflects that the seedy, violent and gang-infested “Market of Sweethearts” exploiting illegal aliens recently intervened by the feds is uncomfortably close to the State Assembly district Mamdani represents. Again, no “what do you say” here. The socialist gets no imagined empathy questions.
Welker softened the obligatory “globalize the intifada” question by first asking Mamdani about the “historic nature” of his campaign. Welker missed no opportunities to gush at Mamdani.
Welker softens the “globalize the intifada” question by first asking Mamdani about the “historic nature” of his campaign and possible election as mayor. Mamdani reiterates deceptive definition of “intifada” as “human rights”, deflects to Mahmoud Khalil and refuses to condemn such… pic.twitter.com/USQLIDIkhk
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) June 29, 2025
Welker offered no pushback to Mamdani’s deflections from his antisemitic remarks, both in calling to “globalize the intifada” or on his October 8th social media post blaming Israel for the horrific attacks the day prior.
After asking Mamdani whether his campaign represents a national playbook for Democrats, Welker wonders aloud whether his win was a sign that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should make a White House run in 2028.
Mamdani was asked point blank whether his primary win was a sign AOC should run in ’28. There was a lot of word salad, but not a “yes”.
WELKER: Do you think that your apparent victory is a sign that there is an appetite for young Progressives like a Congresswoman Alexandria… pic.twitter.com/dbfdSXuMJ1
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) June 29, 2025
Contrast Welker’s gentle handling of Mamdani here with the infinity times she’s pressed Republicans for a firm “yes or no”. The interview ends with a question on the mayoral race and a weird “stay safe” on the campaign trail.
Whatever you want to call this, and especially given Welker’s comportment with Republican guest, don’t call it an interview. This exercise in campaign propaganda was designed to introduce Zohran Mamdani to the nation under soft lights, and allow him to make his proposals palatable to a skeptical general public. Journalism, this is not.
