Mamdani faces grueling debate attacks from opponents as he leads the race

With just under three weeks left until New Yorkers choose their next mayor and socialist candidate, Zohran Mamdani, by a double-digit lead, the pressure was on for independent candidate, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa, to join voters in Thursday night’s mayoral debate.

As such, much of the pressure throughout the two-hour debate was placed on Mamdani.

Here are the five best moments from the debate.

1. Mamdani turns against Hamas

During the debate, Mamdani appeared to backtrack from his position that Hamas would lay down its arms, saying: “Of course, I believe they should lay down their arms.”

Mamdani was responding to a question from a moderator who said his previous response, directed at Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum, was “confusing,” after dodging questions when she asked him whether he thought Hamas should lay down its arms and leave leadership of Gaza, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement they reached.

“I am proud to be one of the first elected officials in the state to call for a ceasefire,” Mamdani said.

“This means that all parties must cease fire and lay down their arms. And the reason we are calling for this is not only an end to the genocide, but also unfettered access to humanitarian aid. Like many New Yorkers, I am hopeful that this ceasefire will hold.”

CURTIS SLIWA gives his thoughts after the first debate with the mayor of New York

Independent candidate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, speaks during a town hall debate with Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, center, and Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in New York. (Angelina Katsanis, Pool/AP Photo)

Mamdani was also pressed by Cuomo on his refusal to condemn the phrases “from river to sea” and “globalizing the Intifada,” both of which are widely seen as calls for the extermination of Jews. Sliwa also pressed this issue, telling Mamdani: “Jews do not believe that you will be there for them when they are victims of anti-Semitic attacks. »

Mamdani responded that he would be mayor of all New Yorkers, saying: “Jewish New Yorkers who have expressed to me their fear of living in this city, and I will be a mayor who finally responds to that, not through the theatrics of politics on stage, but through action.”

2. The National Guard is not welcome

President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to major U.S. cities was also the focus of the New York City Hall debate Thursday evening.

The candidates were asked about the “threat to the city” posed by National Guard troops sent to New York. All three candidates have indicated they would oppose sending troops to the city.

Mamdani said “what New Yorkers need is a mayor who can stand up to Donald Trump and actually provide that security.”

“When Donald Trump sent ICE agents on the people of Los Angeles, Andrew Cuomo said that New Yorkers should not overreact. That’s the most advanced response that New Yorkers are looking for. They’re looking for someone who will lead, someone who will say they will support them, someone who will actually fight for the people of this city,” Mamdani said.

Cuomo, meanwhile, said “the answer in the subways is not more National Guard” but rather “more NYPD is the answer.”

A new poll finds that Mamdani still holds a double-digit lead over his rivals in the New York mayor’s race.

Independent candidate, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, left, greets Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani before participating in a town hall debate, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in New York. (Angelina Katsanis, Pool/AP Photo)

3. “I’ve literally never had a job.”

Cuomo attacked Mamdani’s meager resume, saying, “He has no experience.”

“It’s not a job for someone who has no management experience, to lead about 300,000 people, and no financial experience to manage a $115 billion budget,” the former governor said.

“He’s literally never had a job. On his resume it says he interned for his mother. It’s not a first-time job. Any day you could have a hurricane, God forbid, 9/11, a pandemic, if you don’t know what you’re doing, people will die.”

Mamdani immediately retorted: “If we have a health pandemic, then why would New Yorkers turn to the governor who sent elderly people to their deaths in nursing homes? That’s the kind of experiment that’s on offer here today.”

“What I don’t have in experience, I make up for in integrity, and what you don’t have in integrity, you can never make up for in experience,” he added.

FIRST ON FOX: NEW SITE EXPOSES NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S “RADICAL” RECORD – IN HIS OWN WORDS

Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a town hall debate Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, swimming pool) (Angelina Katsanis, Pool/AP Photo)

Cuomo called the nursing home searches a political investigation that “went nowhere.”

4. Defund, the police continue to haunt Mamdani

Cuomo also hit Mamdani for previous calls to defund the police and statements denouncing law enforcement.

“Respect the police. They are not racist as the congressman calls them, they are not a threat to public safety as he says, they are not anti-queer, they are there to protect New Yorkers, to work with them, to strengthen them,” Cuomo said.

Sliwa stepped in at that point to deliver a jab at Cuomo, saying, “It’s ironic that you’re saying this now…your parole board released 43 cop killers onto the street.” Your father, when he was governor, did not release any of them. I knew Mario Cuomo; you are not Mario Cuomo.

In response to Cuomo’s attack, Mamdani said, “As much as Andrew Cuomo wants to bring up tweets from 2020, around the same time he was sending elderly people to their deaths in nursing homes, I’m looking to work with police officers, not defund the NYPD.”

Mamdani again touted his plan to deploy “dedicated teams of mental health outreach workers” to the top 100 metro stations with the highest levels of mental health crises and homelessness.

LATEST STAGE: MAMDANI’S BIG LEAD SHALLS AS CUOMO GAINS GROUND IN NYC MAYOR’S RACE

From left, independent candidate, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa and Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani participate in a town hall debate, Thursday, October 16, 2025, in New York. (Angelina Katsanis, pool/AP Photo)

5. No love for Hochul

In a debate filled with candidates constantly interjecting and talking over each other, the room suddenly went silent when a moderator asked, “Show of hands.” Who is supporting (New York Governor) Kathy Hochul for re-election?

Not a single candidate raised their hand.

Cuomo, who chose Hochul as lieutenant governor, said: “We need to know who is running. »

Mamdani said: “This is a decision that should be taken after these general elections.”

He noted, however, that he thinks Hochul is “doing a good job, and not only is he meeting the expectations of New Yorkers, but he’s also standing up to Donald Trump.”

“Then support her!” Cuomo intervened. “Why don’t you support her?”

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Mamdani noted, “I appreciate his support and I appreciate his work,” but said, “I’m focused on November.”

Sliwa showed support for the gubernatorial campaign of Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Y., saying, “a Republican Mayor Curtis, a Republican Governor Stefanik…save this city.”

Andrew Mark Miller of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.