Zohran Mamdani’s recent interview with PIX11 host Dan Mannarino revealed a breathtakingly reckless approach to public safety when he plainly stated that the NYPD “will be delivering public safety, not assisting ICE” and that he would tell the police commissioner to ensure officers do not assist federal immigration agents. That promise wasn’t vague rhetoric — it was a direct pledge to neuter local-law enforcement cooperation with federal authorities in the middle of real public-safety controversies.

This comes after widely reported ICE operations in the city that sparked protests and chaos, making plain the complicated and sometimes fraught reality of enforcing immigration laws while protecting neighborhoods. Instead of acknowledging those complexities, Mamdani chose a posture that comforts mobs and sanctuary activists while leaving honest, hardworking New Yorkers to worry about the consequences.

Mamdani campaigned as a democratic socialist promising generous giveaways and immigrant-first policies, and now he’s signaling he’ll use the power of the mayor’s office to shield people from federal enforcement. That political theater may play well to his base, but bold ideological promises don’t absolve him of governing responsibly or understanding how police, federal agencies, and the rule of law actually function in a complex city.

Let’s be blunt: when a mayor tells police to stand aside from federal operations, it’s not high-minded civil resistance — it’s a recipe for lawlessness and confusion that will be exploited by criminals. New Yorkers deserve leaders who keep streets safe and cooperate on criminal enforcement, not ideological zealots who treat public safety as a bargaining chip to score headlines.

Conservative commentator Dave Rubin didn’t mince words, and his decision to share the direct-message clip exposing Mamdani’s evasiveness only underscored how out-of-touch the mayor-elect is on practical policing matters. The DM snippets and surrounding coverage show a politician who sounds confident on camera but clueless about the real-world mechanics and consequences of breaking down interagency cooperation.

Hardworking New Yorkers should take this as a wake-up call: rhetoric that prioritizes ideology over safety will cost lives, livelihoods, and the basic sense of security that keeps our city humming. Patriots who love this nation and the rule of law must demand accountability, insist on common-sense cooperation between city and federal authorities, and refuse to let experiments in virtue-signaling imperil our communities.