Karine Jean-Pierre shames Democratic leaders for not backing Mamdani

Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Democratic Party leaders made a “big mistake” by not supporting New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani during the primaries.

Jean-Pierre congratulated Mamdani’s election victory on Wednesday with radio host Dean ObeidallahHe praises her for encouraging young people to vote in off-year elections despite being up against “two big Goliaths” in the primaries. While he was excited about Mamdani’s victory, he added that her victory was more about connecting with voters than party support or leadership support.

He criticized Democratic leaders for sending the “wrong message” by hesitating or refusing to support Mamdani during the campaign.

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“So, he was the candidate in the mayoral race, the Democratic candidate, and they’re basically saying ‘no, the voters are wrong. We don’t want him,'” Jean-Pierre said. “And that’s a problem. You’re sending the wrong message, especially to young people, where we need to take action right now.”

He continued, “And I thought it was a mistake. I thought it was a big mistake for the leadership not to get behind him. I thought it was a big mistake for them to turn their backs on him because he did it the right way. And there’s something to be learned from the way he campaigned.”

Jean-Pierre added that Democrats need to learn how to “punch hard” as an opposition party and urged them not to ignore any demographic because of polling.

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Karine Jean-Pierre congratulated Zohran Mamdani’s victory and hailed him as an example for Democrats. (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for SiriusXM; Kylie Cooper/Reuters)

“This is a big tent party and you can’t throw people under the bus,” Jean-Pierre said. “You know, you can’t throw queer people, you can’t throw LGBTQ people under the bus. You can’t throw the Muslim community under the bus. You can’t throw immigrants and immigrants under the bus because everything you believe in, it does well in the polls. That’s what I’ve seen this year, too. There are people who are scared and afraid. We need to be there for everyone. And I hope that results in sending a very loud message to the diversity of this party and people in general.”

Although he did not name specific leaders, several prominent figures in the Democratic Party were hesitant to support Mamdani even after he became the party’s nominee.

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul did not officially endorse Mamdani until September, almost three months after Mamdani defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the primary race.

Democratic New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani attends a campaign event on November 1, 2025 in Brooklyn, New York. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DY) did not endorse Mamdani until October 24, less than two weeks before the election. Despite her support, he hesitated to refer to Mamdani as the “future” of the party.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has never supported Mamdani.

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But Mamdani has found support from progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-Y., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. and former President Barack Obama.