Police say Assa Diawara, 30, of Queens, was the woman caught on camera before allegedly abandoning a baby girl who was found alive at Penn Station in Manhattan Monday morning.

She was arrested on charges of abandonment of a child and endangering the welfare of a child early Wednesday morning, an update from the New York Police Department said.

Police had asked the public for help identifying the woman seen on video carrying the baby.

POLICE RELEASE PHOTO OF SUSPECT WHO ABANDONED BABY WITH UMBILICAL CORD STILL ATTACHED

Police searched for this person, who they say entered the 34 Street-Penn Station Subway station on the southbound platform of the “1” train and left a female infant unattended and wrapped in a blanket on Oct. 20, 2025. (NYPD Crime Stoppers)

The infant was discovered around 9:30 a.m. local time Monday on the stairway leading to the southbound No. 1, 2, and 3 trains at the 34th Street–Penn Station stop, according to police reports.

Officials were alerted after an anonymous caller reported seeing the baby left unattended on the steps at West 34th Street and 7th Avenue.

MOTHER’S STORY QUESTIONED BY AUTHORITIES AS 7-MONTH-OLD REMAINS MISSING AFTER ALLEGED KIDNAPPING

Construction near Penn Station in New York, US, on Thursday, July 13, 2023.  (Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

When first responders from the FDNY and NYPD arrived, they found the baby wrapped in a blanket, conscious and alert. The baby was then taken to Bellevue Hospital.

Her umbilical cord was still attached, FOX 5 New York reported.

The identity of the infant’s parents has not yet been publicized.

A newborn was discovered wrapped in blanket on subway stairs at Penn Station New York. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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Per New York’s Safe Haven Law, parents are allowed to legally and safely surrender newborns at hospitals, police precincts, or fire stations without facing criminal charges as long as the child is left in the care of responsible personnel.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.

The post Woman charged with abandoning newborn child at NYC subway stop appeared first on My Blog.

The small black dog slipped away from its owners and ended up hiding under a northbound 2 train at the 14th Street station Thursday.

The animal was hit by the train before seeking refuge beneath one of the cars, a spokesperson for the NYPD told People magazine.

WOMAN CHARGED WITH ABANDONING NEWBORN CHILD AT NYC SUBWAY STOP

“When Moose the dog got loose and went hiding underneath a 2 train, our [NYPD Special Ops Emergency Service Unit] officers came to the rescue,” the NYPD posted to X.

The small black dog slipped away from its owners and ended up hiding under a northbound 2 train at the 14th Street station Thursday, according to the NYPD. (NYPD)

Bodycam footage released by the NYPD shows an officer climbing down a ladder onto the tracks, shining a flashlight to search for the missing pup.

WHO SAVED WHO? DAVE PORTNOY REFLECTS ON LIFE-CHANGING BOND WITH HIS RESCUE DOGS

“Where is it?” the officer can be heard saying before spotting the small dog hiding in the shadows.

Bodycam footage released by the NYPD shows an officer climbing down a ladder onto the subway tracks, shining a flashlight to search for the missing pup. (NYPD)

“Come here,” the officer says, luring the dog. “Come on. Come on, buddy.”

VIDEO SHOWS HURRICANE MILTON-IMPACTED FAMILY, DOGS RESCUED FROM FLOODWATERS

Moments later, the officer scoops Moose up and carries him away from the tracks before lifting him onto the subway platform where other officers are standing.

“Yay!” one person can be heard saying.

Moose was showered with pets before being reunited with his owners, according to People.

Moose was reportedly showered with pets before being reunited with his owners. (NYPD)

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“Thanks to [NYPD Transit] officers, Moose was safely reunited with its owner!” the NYPD posted to X.

Earlier this year, NYPD officers similarly jumped into action to save a small dog spotted swimming in the East River, according to FOX 5.

The NYPD did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Sophia Compton is a Writer at Fox News Digital. Sophia was previously a business reporter covering finance, energy and tourism and has experience as a TV news producer. She graduated with a journalism degree in 2021 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

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Vance made the remark as early voting began Saturday in New York City, where Mamdani, the frontrunner in the race, is trying to fend off challengers Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa.

“I want to speak to the memory of my aunt. Who stopped taking the subway after September 11th because she did not feel safe in her hijab,” Mamdani said in a clip of a Friday campaign event that Vance shared.

“According to Zohran, the real victim of 9/11 was his auntie who got some (allegedly) bad looks,” Vance said.

EARLY VOTING UNDERWAY IN NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, AMID HOTLY CONTESTED MAYOR AND GOVERNOR RACES

Vice President JD Vance, left, criticized New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (Leo Correa/AP; Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times via AP)

Mamdani also said Friday, “I want to speak to the Muslim who works for our city, whether they teach in our schools or walk the beat for the NYPD, New Yorkers who all make daily sacrifices for the city they call home, only to see their leaders spit in their face.”

“I want to speak to every child who grows up here marked as the other, who is randomly selected in a way that never quite feels random, who feels that they carry a stain that can never be cleaned. Growing up in the shadow of 9/11, I have known what it means to live with an undercurrent of suspicion in this city,” Mamdani added.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Mamdani campaign for reaction to Vance’s comment.

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER CUOMO, MAMDANI RIP EACH OTHER DURING FINAL DEBATE: ‘UNMASKED’

Andrew Cuomo shakes hands with Zohran Mamdani during a mayoral debate this week.  (Angelina Katsanis)

Mamdani accused Cuomo this week of “Islamophobic rhetoric” after the former governor joined a radio show and its host speculated that Mamdani would be “cheering” if New York City faced another 9/11-style attack.

During an appearance on WABC’s “Sid & Friends in the Morning” on Thursday, Cuomo questioned Mamdani’s ability to lead the city through a crisis situation.

“Any given moment, there’s a crisis, and people’s lives are at stake. God forbid, there’s another 9/11. Can you imagine Mamdani in the seat?” Cuomo asked host Sid Rosenberg.

“He’d be cheering,” Rosenberg retorted.

“That’s another problem,” said Cuomo, before returning to his hypothetical question: “But could you imagine that?”

During a Mamdani campaign event in Manhattan later on Thursday, a reporter asked Mamdani if Cuomo’s comments were Islamophobic.

People cast their ballots during early voting on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in New York.  (Olga Fedorova/AP)

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“Yes, I believe that they were,” Mamdani said, before adding, “We’re speaking about a former governor who, in his final moments in public life, is engaging in rhetoric that is not only Islamophobic, not only racist, it’s also disgusting.”

Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

The post JD Vance slams Mamdani over 9/11 comment, says Democrat socialist believes 'the real victim' was 'his auntie' appeared first on My Blog.

Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, Independent candidate and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa once again traded barbs on the debate stage, meeting for the second time in less than a week.

Wednesday’s debate at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City came as billionaires called for Sliwa to drop out of the mayoral race this week to consolidate support for Cuomo against Mamdani and as more than 650 rabbis nationwide, including those from the largest New York City synagogues, signed an open letter condemning Mamdani for what they said was anti-Israel rhetoric.

‘TIME FOR A CHANGE’: OUTSIDE 30 ROCK, NEW YORKERS TRADE CHANTS AND ARGUMENTS DURING TENSE MAYORAL SHOWDOWN

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa participate in the second New York City mayoral debate at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens, New York City, Oct. 22, 2025.  (Hiroko Masuike/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Both issues were on full display Wednesday night as Mamdani fielded questions about his support for Israel. When asked if Mamdani has any regrets about his “longstanding” anti-Israel views, the democratic socialist affirmed his commitment to protecting Jewish New Yorkers.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FIERY NYC MAYORAL DEBATE: ‘HE LITERALLY HAS NEVER HAD A JOB’

“You won’t denounce ‘globalize the intifada,’ which means, ‘Kill Jews.’ There’s unprecedented fear in New York. It was not several rabbis. It was 650 rabbis who signed the letter, not several,” Cuomo said. While Mamdani refused to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” during the primary, he has since said he would “discourage” others from using the slogan.

“I’ve heard from Jewish New Yorkers about their fears about antisemitism in this city, and what they deserve is a leader who takes it seriously, who roots it out of these five boroughs, not one who weaponizes it as a means by which to score political points on a debate stage,” Mamdani fired back in a fiery moment.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa participated in the second New York City mayoral debate at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens, on Oct. 22, 2025, in New York City. (Hiroko Masuike/Pool/Getty Images)

Sliwa also chimed in, telling Mamdani that Jewish New Yorkers are “frightened” and “scared.”

“They view you as the arsonist who fanned the flames of antisemitism,” Sliwa charged, accusing him of being in support of a “global jihad.” New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand issued an apology earlier this year for “mischaracterizing Mamdani’s record” when she made the same suggestion.

“I have never, not once, spoken in support of global jihad,” Mamdani said. “That is not something that I have said and that continues to be ascribed to me. And, frankly, I think much of it has to do with the fact that I am the first Muslim candidate to be on the precipice of winning this election.”

Moderators for the final New York City mayoral debate were Spectrum News NY1 Political Anchor Errol Louis, WNYC’s Brian Lehrer and The City’s Katie Honan.

The first question posed to candidates during Wednesday’s debate focused on the federal raid in New York City’s Chinatown neighborhood on Tuesday that led to the arrest of nine migrants from West Africa who were in the United States illegally, according to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s supporters gathered outside LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City in New York City Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025.  (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

All three candidates agreed that the Trump administration was beyond its jurisdiction on Tuesday. Cuomo called the raid “dangerous.”

“You don’t send ICE in without coordinating with our police,” Cuomo said, arguing he would have personally called President Donald Trump if he was mayor to tell him the administration was “way out of bounds.” Sliwa agreed that the matter should have been left up to the NYPD.

Mamdani took the criticism a step further, calling ICE a “reckless entity that cares little for the law and even less for the people that they’re supposed to serve,” urging an “end to the chapter of collaboration between City Hall and the federal government, which we’ve seen under” Mayor Eric Adams. Adams is no longer seeking re-election after he built a reputation for his willingness to collaborate with the Trump administration on immigration reform.

At one point, candidates were allowed to ask their opponents a question, sparking a tense moment between Cuomo and Mamdani. Cuomo asked how Mamdani could pose for a photo with an anti-LGBTQ advocate. Mamdani said had he known, he wouldn’t have agreed to take the picture.

Mamdani clapped back, asking Cuomo, “What do you say to the 13 women that you sexually harassed?” Cuomo has continued to deny the allegations and said the cases were dropped.

The latest Fox News survey, conducted Oct. 10-14, ahead of the first general election debate last week, revealed that Mamdani has gained a substantial lead in the race because voters see him as the best candidate to tackle the city’s top problems.

According to the poll, Mamdani has a 21-point lead among New York City registered voters with 49% of voters backing Mamdani, while 28% go for Cuomo and 13% favor Sliwa. Mamdani also rose above the 50% threshold among likely voters, garnering 52% support, while Cuomo picked up 28%, and Sliwa received just 14%.

Supporters for New York City Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa gathered outside LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City ahead of the final debate Wednesday, Oct. 22.  (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

But as Mamdani, ever the social media-savvy candidate, warned his followers on Wednesday, it was Cuomo who was the favorite to win the nomination just weeks before the Democratic primary. By consolidating support with New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, cross-endorsing each other to topple Cuomo through ranked-choice voting, Mamdani pulled the political upset that has since landed him on the national stage.

Since winning the primary, Trump has labeled Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” and “my little Communist.” Mamdani has rejected that moniker, affirming he is a democratic socialist.

Nevertheless, the odd-year election has captivated a national audience at a time when Democrats are still grappling with devastating losses last year. And with Trump back in the White House, Democrats nationwide are seeking to capitalize on growing discontent over his sweeping, second-term agenda.

Less than two hours before candidates took the stage Wednesday, The New York Times reported that Mamdani intends to keep New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch on as his police commissioner if elected in November, citing two senior campaign aides and two more sources who were briefed on the plans.

New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani answers reporter questions after the final debate on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, ahead of Election Day.  (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

“I can confirm that reporting,” Mamdani said on the debate stage. “My administration will be relentless in its pursuit of safety and affordability for every New Yorker, and the delivery of that will require us to put together a team of the best and the brightest.”

Mamdani applauded Tisch for taking on a “broken status quo charter to deliver accountability, rooting out corruption and reducing crime across the five boroughs.” Cuomo and Sliwa also confirmed they would keep her on as commissioner if elected.

The Democratic nominee has faced a slew of criticism on the campaign trial for his past comments, including calling the NYPD “racist, anti‑queer & a major threat to public safety” in 2020, among other insults. Mamdani made a public apology to the NYPD during a Fox News interview last week.

Ahead of those competitive midterm elections expected next year, Republicans have already seized on Mamdani’s progressive politics, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is considering a run for governor. Her campaign said in a recent statement, “Kathy Hochul literally has endorsed a full blown jihadist pro-terrorism Mayor of New York City.”

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Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., endorsed Mamdani last month after previously withholding her support. Fellow New York Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have still yet to coalesce behind the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, although Jeffries indicated this week that a decision is imminent.

This week, Red Apple Media CEO John Catsimatidis and hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman urged Sliwa to drop out of the race, arguing that a vote for Sliwa is a vote for Mamdani. The New York Post editorial board even joined the calls for Sliwa to drop out, but the Republican nominee has maintained he is staying in the race.

Fox News’ Kirill Clark contributed to this report.

Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital. 

The post Trading barbs from light-hearted to vicious, mayoral candidates make final appeal to New Yorkers appeared first on My Blog.

With Election Day closing in, Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the top Democrat in the U.S. House, on Friday announced his support for Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist state lawmaker from the New York City borough of Queens, in a statement to the New York Times.

“Zohran Mamdani has relentlessly focused on addressing the affordability crisis and explicitly committed to being a mayor for all New Yorkers, including those who do not support his candidacy,” Jeffries said.

Jeffries added: “In that spirit, I support him and the entire citywide Democratic ticket in the general election.”

MAMDANI LANDS CRUCIAL ENDORSEMENT IN NYC MAYORAL SHOWDOWN

Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, speaks at an endorsement event from the union DC 37 on July 15, 2025, in New York City.  (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Jeffries acknowledged in his statement that he has “areas of principled disagreement” with Mamdani.

Jeffries, whose congressional district covers much of neighboring Brooklyn, becomes the second major New York State Democrat to back Mamdani, following a late September endorsement from Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The endorsement from Jeffries comes the day before early voting begins in New York City on Saturday.

The top two Democrats in the New York State legislature backed Mamdani days after the governor announced her support.

The endorsements from Jeffries and Hochul may put intense pressure on longtime Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, who is the top Democrat in the Senate, to also back Mamdani in an election that is a little over a week away.

Mamdani shocked the political world in June with his convincing win over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates to capture the Democratic Party’s mayoral nomination in the nation’s most populous city.

The Ugandan-born Mamdani, if elected, would become the first Muslim and first millennial mayor of the nation’s most populous city. He is the clear frontrunner in the latest public opinion polls in the mayoral race in the Democrat-dominated city.

Mamdani is sitting on a large double-digit lead over Cuomo in the latest New York City public opinion polls.

TRUMP REVEALS NEW NICKNAME FOR MAMDANI

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks during his weekly press conference in Washington, D.C., on May 13, 2025. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu/Getty Images)

Guardian Angels co-founder Curtis Sliwa, who for a second straight election is the Republican mayoral nominee in the Democrat-dominated city, is a distant third in the polls.

New York’s current mayor, the embattled incumbent Eric Adams, had decided to run as an independent but announced late last month that he would no longer pursue the office amid anemic polling. President Donald Trump’s advisors had floated administration roles for both mayoral hopefuls.

This week, Adams endorsed Cuomo, even though the two had repeatedly clashed earlier this year on the campaign trail.

POLL POSITION: JUST HOW LARGE IS MAMDANI’S LEAD IN THE NYC MAYORAL RACE?

New York City mayoral candidates, from left to right: Zohran Mamdani, Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa. (Getty Images)

Mamdani surged to the Democratic primary victory thanks to an energetic campaign that put a major focus on affordability and New York City’s high cost of living. It was fueled by a massive grassroots army of supporters and backing from top national progressive champions, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Mamdani made smart use of social media platforms, including TikTok, as he engaged low-propensity voters. He proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing rents on municipal housing, offering “free childcare” for children up to age 5 and setting up government-run grocery stores.

Mamdani has been heavily criticized by his rivals for his far-left platform, as well as his verbal attacks on Israel, his past critical comments about the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and his proposal to shift certain responsibilities away from the NYPD and focus on social services and community-based programs.

“Assemblyman Mamdani has promised to focus on keeping every New Yorker safe, including the Jewish community that has confronted a startling rise in antisemitic incidents as well as Black and Latino neighborhoods that have battled deadly gun violence for years,” Jeffries said in his statement on Friday.

Trump, a native New Yorker who now calls Florida home, has derided Mamdani ever since his primary victory as a “communist” and earlier this month came up with a new derogatory nickname.

“I call him my little communist. He’s my little communist mayor,” Trump said during an extended Fox News interview on “Fox and Friends.”

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Video

Republicans have worked overtime the past three months to anchor the mayoral nominee to vulnerable congressional Democrats up for re-election in next year’s midterms.

“‘Leader’ Hakeem Jeffries just bent the knee to the socialist left, and now the only place he’s leading his party is down a cold, dark tunnel toward electoral humiliation. Every single Democrat owns the socialist agenda and is now a willing accomplice in their own party’s collapse,” National Republican Congressional Committee national press secretary Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Jeffries met with Mamdani for the first time in July, with a second meeting last month. While Jeffries praised Mamdani’s affordability emphasis on the campaign trail, neither meeting resulted in an endorsement.

Most House Democrats, including many progressives, have given Jeffries plenty of latitude and have declined to criticize his lack of an endorsement.

Among the exceptions is Ocasio-Cortez, who said earlier this summer that “we use our primaries to settle our differences, and once we have a nominee, we rally behind that nominee,”

Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, a former House Democrat, similarly chastised congressional leaders for failing to rally around Mamdani.

While Jeffries joins Hochul in endorsing Mamdani, New York State Democratic Party chair Jay Jacobs said that he — as an individual — wouldn’t endorse his party’s mayoral nominee.

And Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi, whose suburban swing congressional district includes a small portion of Queens, has previously announced that he wouldn’t support Mamdani.

Rumors of the Friday endorsement earned immediate criticism from Republicans suggesting that Jeffries is succumbing to pressure from his far-left base to endorse Mamdani despite his socialist policies that will certainly become a target during next year’s midterms.

“Hakeem is bending the knee!!!,” Maureen O’Toole, National Republican Congressional Committee Eastern Regional press secretary, posted on X.

Mamdani released a statement on Friday afternoon welcoming the support from Jeffries.

“This campaign has always been about bringing people together to improve the quality of life for every New Yorker,” Mamdani said.

“I welcome Leader Jeffries’ support and look forward to delivering a city government, and building a Democratic Party, relentlessly committed to our affordability agenda — and to fighting Trump’s authoritarianism. Our movement to turn the page on the politics of big money and small ideas grows stronger by the day.”

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”

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With just weeks until the election, socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani is highly favored to win. Despite this, the debate on Wednesday was every man for himself, with each candidate lobbing attacks and insults at one another.

Here are the top five moments from Wednesday night’s debate.

1. ‘Knock him on his tuchas’

Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, who led the state as a Democratic governor from 2011 until he resigned amid controversy in 2021, took aim at Mamdani’s lack of leadership experience, predicting that President Donald Trump would make short work of him if he were elected mayor.

“[Trump] has said he’ll take over New York if he wins, and he will, because he has no respect for him. He thinks he’s a kid and he’s going to knock him on his tuchas,” said Cuomo.

‘TIME FOR A CHANGE’: OUTSIDE 30 ROCK, NEW YORKERS TRADE CHANTS AND ARGUMENTS DURING TENSE MAYORAL SHOWDOWN

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa participate in the second New York City mayoral debate at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens, on Oct. 22, 2025. (Hiroko Masuike/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Mamdani immediately shot back by calling Cuomo “Donald Trump’s puppet himself.”

“You could turn on the TV any day of the week, and you will hear Donald Trump share that his pick for mayor is Andrew Cuomo, and he wants Andrew Cuomo to be the mayor, not because it will be good for New Yorkers, but because it will be good for him,” said Mamdani.

2. ‘You fled!’

Though far and away the dark horse candidate in the race, Republican Curtis Sliwa landed some of the hardest punches of the night. Early on in the debate, he fired at Cuomo’s controversial exit from office, saying, “Andrew, you didn’t leave. You fled from being impeached by the Democrats in the state legislature. You fled!”

Cuomo, meanwhile, reserved most of his ire for Mamdani. At another point in the debate, he addressed the 34-year-old socialist New York assembly member, saying, “You don’t know how to run a government, you don’t know how to handle an emergency, and you’ve literally never proposed the bill on anything that you’re not talking about in your campaign.”

“You had the worst attendance record in the assembly, and you gave yourself the highest raise in the United States of America,” he said, exclaiming, “Shame on you! Shame on you!”

MAMDANI RIPPED BY RIVALS FOR UNPOPULAR STANCE DURING FIERY NYC DEBATE: ‘YOU WON’T SUPPORT ISRAEL’

Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo participates in the New York City mayoral debate at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens, on Oct. 22, 2025. (Hiroko Masuike/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

In response, a grinning Mamdani said, “It is always a pleasure to hear Andrew Cuomo create his own facts at every debate stage.”

“We just had a former governor say in his own words that the city has been getting screwed by the state. Who was leading the state? It was you!” said Mamdani. “You were leading the state for 10 years, screwing the city!”

Cuomo immediately denied this accusation, blaming the current Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and saying, “That’s the past four years.”

3. The meme moment

Chaos erupted on the debate stage after Mamdani attempted to skirt around a question on whether he supports a set of housing ballot initiatives, with Cuomo, Sliwa and the moderators immediately pressing him to answer.

“What is your opinion, Zohran? Come on!” Sliwa shouted as Cuomo droned, “Yes or no?!”

Cuomo rocked back and forth with his hands, mocking Mamdani, saying, “It’s a TikTok dance,” producing the most meme-worthy moment of the night.

Andrew Cuomo taunts Zohran Mamdani with a dance during the last New York City mayoral debate on Oct. 22, 2025. (Spectrum News NY1)

“They’re pointing out what I was about to say. Would you please answer the question?” a moderator asked.

Mamdani continued to deflect, saying, “I think on this stage you can see two people appealing for the Republican Party votes and myself speaking directly to New York City.”

“Answer the question for once,” Cuomo continued prodding as Sliwa waved his arms and smacked his forehead with his palm.

“My question to you was, do you support the three ballot amendment questions?” the moderator pressed.

Mamdani finally answered, “I have not yet taken a position on those ballot initiatives,” as both Cuomo and Sliwa moaned in protest.

“What a shocker!” Cuomo teased. “Don’t worry, once he takes it, he’ll change it anyway.”

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FIERY NYC MAYORAL DEBATE: ‘HE LITERALLY HAS NEVER HAD A JOB’

Zohran Mamdani speaks during the debate at LaGuardia Community College in Queens on Oct. 22, 2025. (Hiroko Masuike/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

4. Support for global jihad?

Moderators and candidates alike pressed Mamdani on his controversial positions on Israel and rising fears among New York’s Jewish community.

Citing two sons who he said were raised Jewish, Sliwa said, “This issue is personal for me.”

“Let me speak on behalf of my two sons when they’ve heard some of the statements you’ve made, like in support of global jihad, and I hear some people out there saying, ‘the Jews that time is due,’ which means the same thing. They’re frightened; they’re scared. They view you as the arsonist who fanned the flames of antisemitism,” said Sliwa.

“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, a lot of apologizing to do,” Sliwa went on. “My sons are afraid. Their family, their friends, many in the Jewish community are concerned if you become mayor, because they don’t think when antisemitism rears its ugly head, which it’s now doing more than ever before, that you will have the ability to come in and put out those flames of hate.”

Mamdani shot back, “I think there is room for disagreement on many positions and many policies, but I also want to correct the record: I have never, not once, spoken in support of global jihad.”

“That is not something that I have said, and that continues to be ascribed to me. And frankly, I think much of it has to do with the fact that I am the first Muslim candidate to be on the precipice of winning this election,” Mamdani went on, adding, “All the same, Curtis, I do still want to be the mayor that will keep your sons safe, that will keep every single New Yorker safe.”

TRADING BARBS FROM LIGHT-HEARTED TO VICIOUS, MAYORAL CANDIDATES MAKE FINAL APPEAL TO NEW YORKERS

Thousands of demonstrators hold a pro-Palestinian rally in protest of Israel on Oct. 13, 2023, in Times Square, New York City. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

5. A stage full of scandal

Sparks flew when Cuomo and Mamdani were given free rein to question each other and, unsurprisingly, chose to press each other on their most controversial scandals.

Cuomo knocked Mamdani, who is an immigrant to the U.S. from Uganda, for being a “toxic” force in New York City, and pressed him for not advocating for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Uganda for its laws against homosexuality.

“You take a picture with Rebecca Kadaga, deputy prime minister of Uganda… She’s known as Rebecca ‘gay-killer’ Kadaga,” said Cuomo, asking, “How do you not renounce your citizenship, or demand BDS against Uganda for imprisoning people who are gay just by their sexual orientation, is that not a basic violation against human rights?”

Mamdani answered that “had I known that the first deputy minister was the architect of that legislation, I would not have taken that photo.”

In turn, Mamdani grilled Cuomo on 13 sexual harassment allegations filed against him while he was governor. Cuomo brushed this aside, saying, “The cases were dropped” and pressing further, “You have no problem with BDS against Israel, but no BDS against Uganda.”

Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa debate on Oct. 22, 2025. Millions of dollars are pouring into the mayoral election with less than two weeks to go until New Yorkers go to the polls. (Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

At another point in the debate, Mamdani attempted to turn the question of experience on Cuomo, saying, “The issue is that we have all experienced your experience.”

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“The issue is that we experienced you taking a $5 million book deal while you sent seniors to their deaths in nursing homes. The issue is that we experienced you cutting funding for the MTA to send money to upstate ski resorts. The issue is that we saw you give $959 million in tax breaks to Elon Musk. The issue is your experience,” said Mamdani.

“The issue is you have no experience,” insisted Cuomo, adding, “You’ve accomplished nothing.”

Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

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During a mayoral debate last night hosted by Spectrum News New York 1, Mamdani said he would reorganize the NYPD and “trust” dispatchers to “make the determination as to whether there was any indication of violence.” He asserted that this approach has been proven to work “elsewhere in the country.”

“That’s probably the worst idea I’ve heard of in a long time,” said Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor of criminal justice at Penn State Lehigh Valley.

“I don’t have a clue what he’s talking about and neither does he,” he added. “My question is, what happens when the dispatcher is wrong and someone dies? Is it an oops? The liability the city would be taking on with this idea will be off the charts.”

MAMDANI DODGES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THREATS TO NYPD IN FIRST PRESSER SINCE DEADLY MANHATTAN SHOOTING

New York mayoral candidate, state Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-NY), speaks to supporters during an election night gathering at The Greats of Craft LIC on June 24, 2025, in the Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Mamdani has supported replacing police officers with social workers and “transit ambassadors” on certain 911 calls.

If it’s been done elsewhere, Giacalone questioned where that was, what happened and how that city’s population stacked up against the Big Apple’s.

“This is NYC, not Sheboygan,” he said.

Sheboygan is a Wisconsin city on Lake Michigan with about 50,000 residents. New York has more than 8 million.

Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani (R), Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa (L) and Independent candidate and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo participate in the second New York City mayoral debate at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens, New York, on Oct. 22, 2025. (Hiroko MASUIKE / POOL / AFP)

MAMDANI’S ATTEMPTED POLICE PIVOT CONTINUES AFTER ADAMS ASKS ‘WHERE WAS HE?’

Mamdani’s campaign did not immediately respond to emailed questions about the proposal.

“Zohran Mamdani’s plan to shift the responsibility of determining—over the phone—whether or not a law enforcement response is needed for a 911 call involving an emotionally disturbed person is reckless and dangerous,” said retired NYPD lieutenant and “Finest Unfiltered” podcast host John Macari. “This proposal will not save lives or reduce the workload of law enforcement; it will make their jobs harder and endanger civilians, dispatchers and first responders alike.”

He said anyone who has experience responding to calls involving emotionally disturbed people knows they are both “unpredictable and volatile.”

“I’ve personally responded to hundreds of them during my career, and I can tell you firsthand, no one can safely assess the threat level of an emotionally disturbed individual over the phone,” he told Fox News Digital.

A police officer’s NYPD shoulder patch. (Susan Watts/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

He said under the stress of making the wrong decision, dispatchers could likely err on the side of caution and send police anyway.

“Mamdani’s idea isn’t a plan, it’s a talking point,” he said. “It appears to have been drafted without any consultation with dispatchers, first responders or the families of those struggling with mental illness. If implemented, it will cost lives and further strain a system already stretched to its limits.”

Macari, who supports Republican Curtis Sliwa in the race, added that he believes Mamdani’s primary win over Andrew Cuomo was the result of voters rejecting the former governor, not widespread support for his agenda.

Mamdani, who this year has insisted he would not defund the NYPD if elected mayor, has previously called for doing so and tearing the department down.

REPLACE COPS WITH SOCIAL WORKERS, ‘TRANSIT AMBASSADORS’ ON SOME 911 CALLS: MAMDANI

“Defund it. Dismantle it. End the cycle of violence,” he wrote on X in December 2020, complaining about NYPD overtime and calling the department “wicked & corrupt.”

Before that, he claimed the department “is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety.” Separately, he has called for taking money from the NYPD budget and spending it on homeless services.

“Together, we can tax the rich, heal the sick, house the poor, defund the police & build a socialist New York,” he wrote.

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Giacalone said that while Mamdani’s rhetoric may have changed, he still views him as a “defund the police” candidate.

“Like the saying goes, when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time,” he said. “He is a defund the police, abolish the police candidate. Plain and simple. Once again, the people voting for a candidate like this don’t live in the crime areas where things will turn worse.”

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“The threat of people leaving high tax, high crime jurisdictions like New York and other places is real,” Singer told Fox News Digital.

“It’s been happening for years, and Boca Raton has been the beneficiary of a lot of businesses bringing their corporate headquarters and high-paying jobs here. I think the threat is even more real. People are already preparing to leave before a Mamdani election and if the polls hold as they expect in the next few weeks, we’re going to see a lot more people looking to bring their businesses here and create jobs in Boca Raton.”

Mamdani’s socialist economic policies, along with his adoption of communist talking points like “seizing the means of production” andabolishing private property, have been a major focus for his critics who have warned his victory would negatively affect businesses in New York City, the financial capital of the world.

‘ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK’: RESEARCHER PREDICTS NYC BUSINESS EXODUS IF ZOHRAN MAMDANI WINS

The New York City Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, spoke to supporters at a canvass launch event in Prospect Park on Aug. 17, 2025. (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)

“It’s hard to predict how bad the economic situation is going to be, but Mamdani doubled down at last week’s debate and said it’s about time we raised taxes, and he was grateful for it,” Singer said. “When he’s proposing a 17% marginal tax rate for New York City residents between state and local taxes, that’s 17% that they can simply give up by moving here and with jobs more mobile because of technology and with companies finding great office space here, there’s less and less reason for people to stay there.”

Singer continued, “I think one year out, you’re going to see a substantial exodus of companies that are able to move. Two years out, we’re going to see depressed values, more unemployment, higher crime. And four years out? We don’t know. I think at that point, they’ll be ready for a new mayor if what we expect to happen in November happens.”

Singer lauded the business climate in Boca Raton, notably the lowest property tax rate of any full-service city in Florida, along with no state income tax.

“People have been saying, well, we want to join you. Since Mamdani won the primary in June, we’ve had a lot of outbound outreach, as well as some marketing toward the New York market that’s been effective,” Singer explained. “And we have companies ranging from financial services to FinTech to AI and quantum computing and so many more who are looking at moving here.”

Singer, who spent years as an attorney in New York City, said “a lot” of his contacts in the city are “very concerned” about the potential of a Mamdani victory.

“They’ve reached out to explore a better life in Boca Raton, and we’re going to continue to see this in places that have lower taxes, lower regulation, welcome business, are not scaring people off with crazy ideas and the idea that you can tax people indefinitely and without limits before they start to react,” Singer said, adding that New York City “is not as captive an audience as some people think.”

“I think that’s going to be demonstrated in the coming months and years.”

CUOMO WARNS THERE WILL BE ‘NOBODY LEFT’ IN NEW YORK CITY IF MAMDANI BECOMES MAYOR

Mayor Scott Singer of Boca Raton, Florida, on Jan. 27, 2025. (Getty Images)

Singer also spoke to Fox News Digital about the contrast in public safety between Boca Raton and New York City, which he views as another reason why New Yorkers will consider Florida, particularly given Mamdani’s past calls to defund the police, which many of his critics argue he has not sufficiently walked back.

“In Boca Raton, we have outstanding public safety,” Singer said. “Our crime numbers have continued to drop from what were 40-year lows despite rises nationally, and I think that’s a contrast to what you’re seeing in New York.”

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Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a mayoral debate on Oct. 16, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, Pool)

Singer, who chairs the America First Policy Institute Mayor’s Council, told Fox News Digital that Boca Raton is a city that prioritizes public safety and backs their police with funding.

“Contrast that with a candidate who’s had repeated comments about defunding the police, critical of public safety,” Singer said. “We support public safety in Boca Raton and I think, ultimately, that’s what a lot of people will be choosing. It’s not just taxes. It’s public safety, it’s quality of life. I think we offer that all in Boca Raton and I think there are mayors across this country who offer a counter to what you’re seeing in some of these larger cities.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment.

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.

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Sliwa was defiant during a morning press conference outside a Manhattan subway station, after many political observers called on him to withdraw from the race in order for Andrew Cuomo to defeat the Democratic nominee, Zohran Mamdani.

“So let’s be very clear. I am not dropping out. Under no circumstance. I’ve already been offered money to drop out, I said no. Distant from that, with threats against Nancy and myself, I now have to have armed security with me, former NYPD officers. Never had that in my life,” Sliwa said Tuesday.

One commuter walking by the press conference yelled, “Drop out already!”

BILL ACKMAN JUMPS INTO NYC MAYORAL FIGHT, SAYS SLIWA MUST DROP OR ‘WE ARE TOAST’

WATCH: SLIWA SPEAKS WITH FOX NEWS’ ALEXIS MCADAMS:

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Sliwa lashed out at Cuomo, arguing the independent candidate was not putting real effort into his campaign. Instead, he said, Cuomo was simply relying on Sliwa to drop out of the race.

Asked whether he would prefer Cuomo or Mamdani to win the race, Sliwa told Fox News that they are “two peas in a pod.”

“These Democrats, both of them are Democrats that led us down to this path of destruction,” he said.

DAVID MARCUS: IT’S NOT CURTIS SLIWA’S JOB TO SAVE THE DEMOCRAT PARTY FROM ITSELF

Several prominent figures have called on Sliwa to withdraw, including billionaire John Castimatidis, who is CEO of WABC Radio and Red Apple Media.

Catsimatidis, a Republican who launched his own mayoral campaign in 2013, cited concerns “that Sliwa’s continued candidacy could split the vote and inadvertently help another candidate.”

Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani compete for NYC mayor. (Getty Images)

“Catsimatidis said the move is essential to consolidating support behind a ‘viable alternative’ and avoiding what he described as a potentially damaging outcome for the city if the vote remains divided,” a press release from his office said.

Sliwa rejected the push at the time, telling Fox News Digital, “The billionaires can conspire to pick their candidate… I trust the people. They will make the decision. I will not drop out.”

Sliwa is currently on a leave of absence from WABC Radio, where he has worked for decades, while running for NYC mayor.

Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and Republican Curtis Sliwa found unlikely common ground on the campaign trail on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Getty)

Mamdani has appeared amused by the situation, however.

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“I never thought I would say this, but here we are, where the only candidates who agree that billionaires shouldn’t control the future of this city are the Republican nominee and the Democratic nominee,” the democratic socialist said.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

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“This is a moment where Jewish self-concern — safety — is on the docket,” Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue told “Fox & Friends First” on Wednesday.

“I would love nothing more than it not to be on the docket, that New Yorkers are just arguing over sanitation and police and taxation and the things that make our city great, but this is a moment that we need to speak up about Jewish self-concern.”

MAMDANI RIPPED BY RIVALS FOR UNPOPULAR STANCE DURING FIERY NYC DEBATE: ‘YOU WON’T SUPPORT ISRAEL’

New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani attends a news conference in the Bronx where he was endorsed by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie on Sept. 17, 2025. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Cosgrove warned his synagogue Saturday that Mamdani “poses a danger to the security of the New York Jewish community,” pointing to the Democratic socialist’s “refusal to condemn inciteful slogans like ‘globalize the Intifada’” and his “repeated accusation of [Israeli] genocide” as evidence.

After longstanding pressure, Mamdani said last month he would “discourage” use of the “globalize the intifada” phrase, which is commonly associated with violence against Israel.

Mamdani has a lengthy record of criticizing Israel, at one point insisting New York City should honor the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he were to visit the city.

However, he rejects claims he is antisemitic.

As Election Day closes in, Cosgrove says now is the time for outreach.

ACTIVISTS SOUND ALARM ON ‘DEEPLY TROUBLING’ POLL SHOWING SUPPORT FOR MAMDANI’S ANTI-ISRAEL MESSAGING

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., joins New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani during the “Fighting Oligarchy” town hall at Brooklyn College on Sept. 6, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

“When I’m speaking to the Park Avenue Synagogue community, I’m preaching to the choir already,” he said.

“But there are folks in the non-Jewish community, in the Jewish community who are ambivalent, who are undecided, and I think this is the moment in time that we all need to reach out to our networks of influence.”

“Not everyone has a pulpit, but everyone has friends, colleagues, family members who we have to have those one-on-one conversations [with] and throw a flag on the field and say, ‘We can disagree on an issue here and there, but when it comes to the safety of the Jewish community, there is no gray area.'”

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Mamdani’s campaign has noted his support from Jewish elected officials — including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander — in response to antisemitism concerns, according to POLITICO.

His campaign also noted that leaders of the Orthodox Jewish community had sued his rival, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, for pandemic policies that were allegedly “antisemitic” and pointed to Mamdani’s plan to help tackle antisemitism by “increasing funding to prevent hate crimes by 800%,” per the report.

If elected, Mamdani would become New York City’s first Muslim mayor.

Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.

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