New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani distanced himself from inflammatory remarks made by Hasan Piker while defending his willingness to associate with the far-left streamer during an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Shannon Bream.
When pressed about Piker’s past remarks about Hamas, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Mamdani made clear he did not share such views.
“I would say those are all things that I disagree with, and I’ve made very clear about my own opinions,” Mamdani said during the “Fox News Sunday” interview.
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“I think that it’s important to both be able to be confident in your opinions and be able to have a conversation with those that you disagree with and those that you agree with, because if you just surround yourself with people who echo everything that you say and think, you’re going to just end up at home looking at a mirror,” he added.
Piker has faced backlash for remarks suggesting that Hamas is better than Israel, the United States deserved the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the Middle East would be more stable if Iran possessed a nuclear weapon.
As he stumped for Democratic candidates ahead of this year’s midterms, Piker’s rhetoric became a focal point for Republicans who sought to depict progressive and Democratic socialists as extremists.
During an election livestream Tuesday, Piker ramped up his inflammatory rhetoric, fantasizing about jail time for President Donald Trump and Elon Musk and proudly declaring that “woke is back.”
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Mamdani has appeared with the controversial streamer despite criticism of Piker’s rhetoric, raising questions about the extent to which the two share political views.
In the full interview, set to air on the upcoming “Fox News Sunday” broadcast, Mamdani also faced questions about his membership in the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and whether he supports some of the organization’s more controversial positions.
The conversation also touched on the realities of governing New York City compared to his ambitious campaign promises, including a $30 minimum wage, free buses and other proposals.
Tune in Sunday for Shannon Bream’s exclusive sit-down with Mayor Mamdani.
Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.