Mamdani slams Colbert show for pitching ‘game’ to discuss Israel-Hamas war
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Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” is playing a “game” that he finds inappropriate.
In an interview In The New Yorker, Mamdani recalled a meeting with Colbert’s producers in June before the self-described democratic socialist appeared on stage late at night, just one day before he clinched the Democratic nomination.
In that case, Jewish groups called for Colbert Interrogating Mamdani about her views on Israel.
“Just before the candidates took the stage, producers came into the green room and said they wanted to go over a few more questions,” The New Yorker described Thursday. “According to people in the room, one of the producers suggested a ‘thumb up or thumbs down’ segment: ‘Thumb up or thumbs down: Hamas. Thumbs up or thumbs down: a Palestinian state.'”
COLBERT ACCEPTS DEM SOCIALIST NYC MAYOR CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI ON ISRAEL AND ANTISEMITISM
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani recalled an uncomfortable exchange she had with one of Stephen Colbert’s producers before appearing on the “Late Show.” (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)
“Mamdani’s face fell. I couldn’t believe what happened,” Mamdani told the magazine. ‘That genocide can be turned into a game to be played late at night.'”
Mamdani’s aides were “angry”; one of them said to the producer: “You have the first Muslim candidate for mayor in the history of New York… Don’t you want to ask him a question about that?”
A spokesperson for “The Late Show” did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Colbert pressed Mamdani for several minutes on the Israel-Hamas war and growing concerns about the Israel-Hamas war. antisemitism.
“Does the State of Israel have a right to exist?” Colbert asked.
“Yes,” replied Mamdani. “I believe that, like all nations, it has the right to exist and the responsibility to uphold international law.”
ISRAEL CALLED THE LEADING DEMOCRATIC, ‘THE MOUTH OF HAMAS’ IN OCTOBER’S BLAMING 7 PUBLICATIONS
New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks to supporters at a launch event in Prospect Park on August 17, 2025. (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)
The liberal late-night host, who has repeatedly emphasized that he is not offering any support in the mayoral race, acknowledged the “elephant in the room,” noting the rise of anti-Semitism within the Jewish community and the “fear” of what would happen if New York City elects Mamdani, a far-left Muslim and outspoken critic of Israel.
“They’re very upset about some of the things you’ve said in the past, and they fear that your mayorship will actually increase anti-Semitism, which they believe will be more dangerous for them,” Colbert told Mamdani. “What do you say to New Yorkers who are afraid that you can’t be their mayor, that you can’t protect them?”
“You know, I know where this fear comes from,” Mamdani replied. “This is a fear that dates back to the horrific attacks we saw in Washington, D.C., in Boulder, Colorado, and it’s also a fear I’ve heard from New Yorkers.”
“You know, just a few days after the terrible war crime of October 7, a friend of mine told me how she went to her synagogue for Shabbat services and heard the door open behind her. And when she turned around, not knowing who was there and what it all meant to her, a shiver ran down her spine,” he continued.
“I talked to a Jewish man in Williamsburg many months ago, and he told me that the door he had left open for decades was now locked. And ultimately that’s because we’re seeing a crisis of anti-Semitism.”
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“Late Show” host Stephen Colbert pressed Mamdani about the Israel-Hamas war and antisemitism on the eve of the Democratic Party primaries. (Screenshots/GIS)
Mamdani later announced his proposal for an “800%” increase in funding for the Department of Community Safety’s anti-hate crime program.
“Because to your point, anti-Semitism is not just something we need to talk about. It’s something we need to overcome,” Mamdani told Colbert. “We must make it clear that there is no place for this in this city, in this country, in this world and…”
“So is there no justification for any form of violence?” Colbert intervened.
“No,” Mamdani replied quickly. “There is no place for violence in this city, in this country, in this world.”
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Polls show Mamdani maintains a significant lead over his rivals, even as the mayoral race narrows following the departure of incumbent New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The 33-year-old councilwoman has 46% support among likely voters, according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll. His closest rival, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, has narrowed the gap but still lags behind with 33 percent support, while Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, co-founder of Guardian Angels, is a distant third with 15 percent.
