Comedian and radio host DL Hughley offered an emphatic defense of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, arguing the Democratic socialist’s actions in office reflect Christian values more than many of his political critics.
In an episode of his podcast, Uncertain with DL Hughley, the comedian pushed back against criticism of Mamdani, questioning why opponents have attacked the mayor for pursuing campaign promises, contrasting him with what he said were broken campaign promises by President Donald Trump.
“[Trump] promised to lower grocery prices Day 1, right,” Hughley said. “And now people are mad at him because he’s not keeping his word, whereas the mayor of New York promised to lower grocery prices, promised to do all these things that would make New York more livable. He’s doing it, and they’re mad at him. They’re mad at Trump for not keeping his promises, and they’re mad at Mamdani for keeping his promises.”
“How the f*** are you mad at this dude [Trump] for not keeping his promises and this dude is, and you’re mad at him?” he said. “How is this a campaign promise and this socialism? You can say whatever you want to say, but this Muslim is putting Christians to shame.”
Hughley pointed to several of Mamdani’s recent initiatives as evidence that the mayor is attempting to govern according to his campaign platform. Among them was Mamdani’s visit to Rikers Island during the FIFA World Cup, where he joined inmates for a watch party after the city organized viewing events for prisoners who earned the privilege through good behavior.
Hughley also referenced Mamdani’s outreach to black New Yorkers, saying the mayor “talked about how a couple of hundred thousand Black people had left New York, and he wanted them to come back.”
MAMDANI VOWS TO GOVERN AS ‘DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST’ AND EMBRACE BIG GOVERNMENT
From there, the comedian argued that faith should be measured by actions rather than religious identity, saying, “the thing of the matter is, it isn’t who you worship. I think there is more to say for a man that lifts the poor, that feeds the hungry, that employs the people who are unemployable, that walks among people.”
Hughley’s comments come as Mamdani continues to draw national attention for his progressive agenda, with supporters praising his focus on affordability while critics argue many of his policies reflect an expansive socialist vision.