FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker said he hasn’t had any contact from Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani’s office since announcing his resignation right after the democratic socialist’s election win.
Tucker, who was named commissioner just under a year and a half ago, noted that no representatives from Mamdani’s team have reached out in the weeks since Nov. 4, when Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
In a interview that aired on “CBS Mornings” on Wednesday, Tucker explained, “I haven’t heard from anyone in his incoming administration, nor has the department, and so I only hope that that is not an indicator of their feelings about the FDNY. I’d like to think they think everything is going so well here that they don’t need to transition so fast.”
He opened up about why he stepped down the day after Mamdani’s victory during a more emotional talk with host Tony Dokoupil. 12 When asked, Tucker, who identifies as Jewish, said Mamdani’s anti‑Israel comments played a role in his decision. “It’s a complicated, emotional decision to leave. But ideologically, there’s no doubt that the mayor and I disagree on some very fundamental things to me,” he said.
Tucker added, “I don’t want to tell you that it’s the only factor, but I believe that the things that I have heard the mayor say would make it difficult for me to continue on in such a senior executive role in the administration.” His resignation takes effect on Dec. 19.
He also referenced Mamdani’s reaction to an antisemitic incident last week outside the Park East Synagogue in the Upper East Side, where a protest mob chased the historic house of worship and one agitator shouted, “We need to make them scared!” Mamdani released a statement that, in part, appeared to back the protestors who had gathered that evening, while the synagogue was hosting an event encouraging Jewish immigration to Israel. The spokesperson for Mamdani’s transition team said, “He believes every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship without intimidation and that these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.”
Tucker continued, “I’m worried the 34‑year‑old Mayor‑elect will not fully grasp the enormity of his job,” and added that he felt Mamdani had not gone far enough in condemning the protest’s actions. “I don’t know that the public has heard appropriately from him,” he said. “I think he could have come out very quickly and condemned the behavior and some of the rhetoric.”
His departure is especially striking compared with Mamdani’s choice to keep NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who is also Jewish. “I respect her for the decision to stay, and I know she respects me for my decision to leave,” Tucker said.
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