Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) warned New York City — the financial capital of the world — would face “a complete disaster” if socialist Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani takes power, cautioning his radical agenda on policing and governance will endanger the city’s safety and security and trigger a mass exodus that harms both New York and the nation.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, Lawler — who represents New York’s 17th Congressional District — described Mamdani’s overall governing platform as “not just socialist but Marxist to its core,” pointing to proposals such as “seizing the means of production,” banning private property, and abolishing billionaires entirely.
Lawler said Mamdani’s plan to raise taxes by about $9 billion “would drive businesses out of New York,” while his pledge to defund the police and eliminate the NYPD’s gang database “would further endanger public safety.” Together, he warned, the candidate’s “extreme Marxist economic and social policies” would devastate the city’s economy and unravel its security infrastructure.
“The idea that you would have an avowed socialist engaged in Marxist theory running the financial capital of the world is going to lead to a mass exodus — a complete disaster for both New York and the country,” Lawler added for emphasis.
With in-person voting concluding Tuesday, the race has tightened in recent days, with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa closing in on Mamdani amid growing voter concern over the self-described socialist’s radical platform.
Lawler warned that New York’s security picture would “deteriorate quickly” under Mamdani’s policies, emphasizing the need for cooperation between local and federal law enforcement. “New York has always been a target — one we have to protect by remaining ever-vigilant and ensuring our federal, state, and local partners continue working together,” he said. “That’s why it’s essential to have an NYPD that cooperates with the federal government.”
He cautioned that Mamdani’s record suggests the opposite. “The way he manages the NYPD will directly affect the city’s security,” Lawler said. “If he defunds the department, cuts its size, or stops hiring new officers, it will weaken New York’s ability to defend itself.”
Lawler also cited Mamdani’s close ties to extremist figures, calling his association with Imam Siraj Wahhaj — an Islamic cleric named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing — “deeply troubling given New York’s history of terrorism.” He noted that Mamdani “was raising money for UNRWA just weeks ago,” referring to the U.N. agency Congress defunded after revelations that its employees participated in the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel that “killed Americans and New Yorkers.”
“Broadly speaking, his associations with an unindicted co-conspirator from the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, coupled with people engaged in what I would describe as the pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party, are troubling to say the least,” Lawler said.
“These associations, coupled with his rhetoric, raise serious questions about his judgment and whether he’ll stand up for New York’s Jewish community and against radical Islamic extremism,” Lawler continued.
The congressman pointed to Mamdani’s refusal to condemn violent anti-Israel incitement — including calls to “globalize the intifada” — and his claim that he would arrest Israel’s prime minister if he came to New York for the U.N. General Assembly. “At the same time,” Lawler noted, “he says he has no opinion on whether Hamas should lay down its arms.”
Lawler warned that the danger extends beyond the city. “If Mamdani wins, he’ll immediately become the face of the Democratic Party,” he said. “There’s already a brewing divide — some embracing his brand of socialism, others denouncing it — and that’s only going to deepen.”
He predicted that Mamdani’s victory “would embolden and incentivize far-left challengers to mount primary campaigns across the country,” producing more candidates who mirror his extreme ideology. “That would be deeply destructive — not just for the Democratic Party, but for the country as a whole.”
Lawler added that Democrats are “petrified of their far-left base,” noting that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Mamdani “out of fear” of a primary challenge from New York City Councilman Chi Ossé, a close Mamdani ally. “Mamdani actually carried Jeffries’ district in the Democratic primary with roughly 70 percent of the vote,” Lawler said. “Party leaders are making choices about their own political survival rather than about the good of New York or the country.”
House Republican Chairwoman Elise Stefanik slammed Jeffries for his “Commie Mamdani” endorsement and warned Democrats that the socialist’s rise “defines what their party has become.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has notably declined to endorse Mamdani.
Ultimately, Lawler said, Mamdani “should be judged by his conduct, actions, and rhetoric.” It will be up to voters, he added, “to decide whether he’s fit to serve as mayor.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
