Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) sounded off about New York City’s leading mayoral contender Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani on Thursday.
He denounced Mamdani as “not even a Democrat” and distancing himself from the far-left platform that propelled the socialist candidate to victory in the city’s Democratic primary.
“Everything that I’ve read on him, I don’t really agree with virtually any of it, politically,” Fetterman told Fox News.
🚨 BREAKING: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) says he doesn't agree with "VIRTUALLY ANY" of Zohran Mamdani's ideas.
"He's not even a Democrat, honestly!"pic.twitter.com/igEdCxRviZ
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 10, 2025
“That’s just where I’m at as a Democrat. He’s not even a Democrat, honestly.”
Mamdani triumphed over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the primary, capturing attention nationwide. But according to Fetterman, the upset handed Republicans a political gift.
“[It] provided an opportunity for the GOP to brand our party,” he said, referring to Mamdani’s primary victory as “Christmas in July for the GOP.”
The socialist assemblyman has campaigned on a sweeping progressive agenda, pushing for fare-free public transportation, tuition-free education, citywide rent freezes, and publicly funded childcare and grocery stores.
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Fetterman dismissed the notion that Mamdani’s win was reflective of broader voter sentiment across the country, particularly in swing states.
“It’s definitely not Pennsylvania. It’s not Wisconsin. It’s not Nevada. If you look at any of the battleground states, New York City has no actual relevance to the kinds of states and the kind of races which determine that in 2028,” the senator continued.
“Is it going to be useful for attack campaigns? Absolutely,” he added. “He’s a gift to the Republicans in that way, but there’s no lessons to be learned.”
He said that the political landscape of New York City is far removed from the realities faced in the rest of the country.
“There’s no special kind of insight. For New York City, politically, that’s a circus mirror of the reality of politics and the politics of our country.”
With the general election still months away, Mamdani could face a crowded field that includes independent candidate Jim Walden, current Mayor Eric Adams (also running as an independent), former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa, co-founder of the Guardian Angels.
Polling numbers this week show Mamdani holding a notable lead. A Slingshot Strategies poll conducted between July 2 and July 6 indicated that Mamdani commands 35% of support among registered voters.
Cuomo followed with 25%, Sliwa drew 14%, and Adams trailed at just 11%.
Adams appears to be losing steam, with a flailing 28% approval rating compared to a harsh 62% disapproval rating.
Mamdani holds a modest net favorability of +4, while Cuomo, despite past controversies, still manages to outperform Adams in public perception.
Even a poll funded by pro-Adams interests showed similar results, giving Mamdani a commanding 41% lead, trailed by Cuomo at 26%, Adams at 16%, and Sliwa at 10%.
Fetterman didn’t stop at mayoral politics. On Thursday, he used social media to reaffirm his backing of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), taking a hard line against left-wing calls to dismantle the agency.
“ICE performs an important job for our country,” he posted on X. “Any calls to abolish ICE are [100 percent] inappropriate and outrageous.”
ICE performs an important job for our country.
Any calls to abolish ICE are 💯 inappropriate and outrageous.
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) July 10, 2025
His comments come as progressive groups and Democratic lawmakers have staged protests against across the nation during President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement initiatives.
Later that day, Fetterman expanded on his stance, clarifying that he still favors legal protections for nonviolent undocumented immigrants.
“Absolutely support amnesty for the hardworking, otherwise law-abiding migrant workers,” he posted. “Round up and deport the criminals.”
“We must acknowledge the critical contribution migrants make to our nation’s economy,” he added.
President Trump responded positively to Fetterman’s stance when asked about it by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy.
“The new John Fetterman is exactly what you said – he’s right, he’s right,” Trump said during a White House event. “And we have to protect our police officers, and we will.”
Fetterman later told reporters that Trump’s praise likely resonated with his family.
“They’re big Fox News viewers,” he said. “My whole family is Republican.”
If this Mamdani person becomes mayor of NYC, this once great city will become the first Nazi City in the USA. Its death will be rapid. The NY Stock Exchange and “Wall Street” will cease to exist there and will have to move probably to Florida or Texas. All of western civilization culture will be dead in NYC: the theater, museums, concerts, etc. all dead under this muslim, Jew and Christian-hating supporter of Satan (also known as Allah to them). But you go right ahead, New Yorkers, and vote for your own destruction.