Former US President Barack Obama recently praised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling him an “extraordinary talent”, Fox News reported on Wednesday.
In a pre-taped interview, Obama discussed the direction of the Democratic Party, particularly regarding the ongoing rift between the liberal and progressive wings.
When asked what direction Obama thought would be best for the party to really effect change, the former US president shrugged off concerns about the ongoing rift, saying: “I’m not that worried about this so-called rift between the left and the liberals, as you described it.” He continued: “Because I think in the Democratic Party, and I’d say a bunch of independents and even some Republicans, there’s an overarching belief in equality, fairness, if you work, then you should be able to make a living and support your family and retire with dignity… There’s a lot of things we really agree on. And that’s the question.”
Obama praises Mamdani
Obama took aim at Mamdani, a democratic socialist, noting, “You’re looking at someone like Mamdani, who I think is an extraordinary talent,” he continued. “He wants people to be able to afford to live in New York. Well, you know, I suppose liberals in New York want the same thing. And so I don’t care so much about some of these issues in the Democratic Party.”
The former president noted that Mamdani, unlike many others, speaks as if he is not in a college seminar. When Stephen Colbert pointed out that Mamdani not only talks like a normal person, but lives a normal life and names what is obviously wrong, Obama agreed, saying, “And don’t have a bunch of morons around it… Just talk like normal people talk.”
Obama expresses concern about Trump’s second term
During the interview, he also raised some specific concerns about US President Donald Trump’s second term, noting that the Department of Justice (DOJ) should remain independent of the White House and not be used as a tool to persecute enemies. The country’s democracy can “survive a lot,” the former president said, but “we cannot overcome the politicization of the criminal justice system.” Without directly naming Trump, he added that the attorney general must be able to function independently of the president’s whims. “The idea is that the attorney general is the people’s lawyer,” he said, adding, “He’s not the president’s consigliere.”
Obama meets Mamdani for the first time
In early April, Obama met the mayor of New York for the first time at a childcare center where they read to preschoolers and led a sing-along, the AP reported.
The meeting came as Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, also seeks to build a working relationship with Republican President Trump. The meeting came just over a week after Mamdani marked his 100th day in office.
The former two-term president and leader of the Democratic Party has offered to advise Mamdani, 34, whose youth, growing popularity and progressive agenda have made him stand out in the party.
NYC’s Muslim mayor’s first meeting with Obama comes after he already met with Trump twice at the White House, in November and February, to discuss issues affecting the city.
