De Niro calls controversial Mamdani police comments 'ridiculous' as he defends mayor going to 9/11 service

Despite acknowledging Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s past ‘ridiculous’ comments about defunding the police, Robert De Niro believes the mayor should attend the 9/11 memorial as a unifying opportunity. Critics, including victims’ families and commentators, argue Mamdani’s history of controversial statements and associations disqualifies him from such an event. De Niro, however, suggests Mamdani hasn’t done anything to warrant exclusion and could use the memorial as a bridge.

• Robert De Niro stated that Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s comments on defunding the police were “ridiculous” but believes the mayor should still attend the 9/11 memorial.
• Critics and victims’ families are demanding Mamdani not attend the memorial due to past rhetoric, including criticism of the NYPD and associations with individuals linked to terrorism and extremist views.
• An online petition with over 100,000 signatures urged Mamdani to skip the event.
• Commentators criticized De Niro’s stance, arguing he lacks knowledge of Mamdani’s controversial associations and comments.
• Mamdani’s past includes calling to ‘defund the police,’ criticizing the NYPD as ‘racist,’ and having associations with individuals linked to radical Islam and praise for Hamas.