New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared on Fox News host Shannon Bream's show Sunday to discuss the midterm elections. When Bream pressed him on his socialist views and Democratic Socialists of America membership, Mamdani's answers defied her expectations.
Bream asked whether the DSA would kick him out over his positions. Mamdani replied no, then explained: "When you go into a room and there is more than one socialist in the room, you will often find disagreement in that room. And what unites members of the Democratic Socialists of America is in many ways what has brought people into politics over the years, a belief in the dignity of working class people and the dignity that has to be a characteristic of their lives."
When pressed on extreme DSA policy platforms, Mamdani rejected several. He said no to getting rid of borders, abolishing the Supreme Court, and eliminating jails. On abolishing the Senate specifically, Mamdani questioned the logic: "After [the election] why would we abolish the Senate?" He pointed instead to the midterm results showing Americans focused on cost of living and working-class concerns.
Mamdani cited Democratic candidates who won races across the country running on policies like universal pre-K, ending endless wars, affordable housing, and data center moratoriums. He connected those wins to his own work as a DSA member serving as New York City mayor.