Former Vice President Kamala Harris gave a lukewarm nod to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani during her first TV news interview since leaving office. In a chat with MSNBC host Rachel Maddow on Monday night, Harris backed the Democratic socialist as the party’s nominee but didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for his campaign.
When Maddow pressed her on endorsing Mamdani, Harris threw up her hands and said, “Sure.” She quickly added, “I support the Democrat in the race,” but then shifted gears to highlight other Democrats running for mayor elsewhere. “I know that [Mamdani’s] in New York, and I know New Yorkers think they’re the center of the world,” Harris said with a playful smile, noting they were interviewing right there in the Big Apple.
She pointed out stars like Barbara Drummond in Mobile, Alabama, and Helena Moreno in New Orleans. “They’re all running for mayor too, and they are stars,” Harris explained. “I hope we don’t over-index on New York City and lose sight of the stars throughout our country who are running for mayor and other offices right now.”
Mamdani, a progressive with socialist views and sharp anti-Israel comments, has stirred up divisions among Democrats. He still lacks key endorsements from New York heavyweights like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. New York Governor Kathy Hochul came around and backed him just last week.
This MSNBC appearance follows Harris’ sit-down with late-night host Stephen Colbert last month. During the interview, she didn’t hold back on President Donald Trump, calling him a “tyrant” and comparing him to a “communist dictator.” “Capitalism thrives in a democracy, and right now we’re dealing with a tyrant,” Harris said, referring to a speech she gave on the Ellipse. She urged business leaders—the “titans of industry”—to serve as “guardrails” against Trump using the federal government to feed his “fragile ego.”
Maddow also brought up an excerpt from Harris’ upcoming book, “107 Days,” where she revealed passing over Pete Buttigieg as her 2024 running mate. Buttigieg, the openly gay former transportation secretary, was her top pick at first, but Harris worried it posed “too big of a risk” in a brutal race against Trump. “To be a Black woman running for president, and as a vice presidential running mate, a gay man, with the stakes so high—it made me very sad, but I realized it would be a real risk,” she clarified.
Maddow called it tough to hear, but Harris pushed back: “That’s not what I said—that he couldn’t be on the ticket because he is gay.” She later admitted, “Maybe I was being too cautious.”
As for her own future, Harris dodged questions about a 2028 presidential run. “That’s not my focus right now. It really isn’t,” she told Maddow.
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