‘Democrats Are Doubling Down On Craziness’: Leavitt Smokes Zohran Mamdani In Daily Presser

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt ripped into New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, the self-described “Democratic Socialist” who bested disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) in the Democratic primary.

Leavitt addressed the controversy surrounding Mamdani — which has even some Democrats worried about the optics of endorsing him — and made it clear that, in the White House’s opinion, Mamdani was just another manifestation of the Democratic Party’s efforts to undermine “the very fabric of our country.”

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????@PressSec BASHES Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani:

“The Democrats are DOUBLING DOWN on craziness and radical policies that are undermining the very fabric of our country…Zohran Mamdani…a communist who proudly calls to defund the police, pedals anti-Semitism, praises… pic.twitter.com/HUVT9JFlNi

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 30, 2025

“The Democrats are doubling down on craziness and radical policies that are undermining the very fabric of our country,” she began. “Just look at the Democrat nominee for New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani He’s a Democrat Socialist — really a communist — who proudly calls to defund the police, peddles antisemitism, praises pro-Hamas groups, wants Israel abolished, and believes wealthy Americans should not exist.”

“Those are his words, just as recent as this weekend,” Leavitt continued, referencing Mamdani’s appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” During that interview, in spite of the fact that host Kristen Welker gave him three opportunities to do so, Mamdani could not being himself to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” — a phrase that Welker correctly explained was a call to violence against Jewish people. Mamdani shrugged off the question, claiming that he did not think it was his place to “police” the language others might choose.

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Mamdani’s history of backing anti-Israel protests and the “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions” (BDS) against Israel may be what has even some New York Democrats feeling squeamish about offering their endorsement.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), whose district is 11% Jewish, told ABC News host Jonathan Karl on “This Week” that he didn’t know Mamdani well enough to endorse him right away.

“Globalizing the Intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrasing,” Jeffries explained. “He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward. With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.”