Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Good morning, everyone. Before we begin, I would like to thank my partners in government, the dedicated advocates and every single person who has fought for the safer streets that New Yorkers deserve. I want to acknowledge our Attorney General Tish James, who is here and has been a leader in this fight; our DOT commissioner, Mr. Flynn; our DMO, Julia Kerson; as well as Corporation Counsel Steve Banks.
Now, today we are here to take an action that is long overdue: moving to stop the sale and distribution of illegal e-bikes and motorized scooters on New York City streets. Exactly one week ago, Gabriel Nacato was riding a Deepower QS7 e-bike from Bensonhurst into Manhattan to meet with a career counselor and fill out his summer job applications. The vehicle he was riding is capable of reaching more than 30 miles per hour; a speed that should never be reached in our bike lanes. It is also one that is notoriously difficult to control, especially on sharp turns like the one coming off of the Brooklyn Bridge into Lower Manhattan. Here on Center Street, just steps from where we stand today, Gabriel was struck while riding the QS7 by a large SUV. The collision was fatal. He was just 17 years old.
I spoke with Gabriel's mother, Norma, soon after that crash. I know that the despair that she is feeling is unimaginable and that there are no words that can describe the pain of this loss for her, for their family and for their friends. To them, I grieve alongside you. New York City grieves alongside you. And in that grief, we hold the knowledge that Gabriel should still be here with us today. Illegal electric vehicles like the Deepower QS7 have cost too many New Yorkers their lives. This past May, our city witnessed yet another horrific crash when Francis Del Valle, who was riding an illegal electric scooter capable of speeds of up to 53 miles per hour, collided with Dmytro Stechenko, a cyclist, on the Queensborough Bridge. Since 2020, e-bikes capable of exceeding 25 miles per hour and those with motors that exceed 750 watts have been outlawed here in New York City. We cannot and will not accept these dangerous vehicles on our city streets.
And yet the companies that sell these vehicles continue to market them to New Yorkers who trust that the product they are purchasing is legal in the city that they call home. Because if it weren't, why would their social media pages be flooded with targeted advertisements? Why would they see their neighbors riding these bikes to work? And why would these vehicles be so easy to buy? The burden of whether or not the bike they buy is safe and legal should not fall on working New Yorkers who are simply looking for a quick and low-cost mode of transportation. It is the responsibility of retailers to only sell the vehicles permissible under New York law in our city.
That is why today, our administration, through our Corporation Counsel, is sending a cease-and-desist letter to more than 40 online retailers that have been selling these illegal vehicles. These are retailers that include: Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Temu, Teverun, Walmart, Marketplace, Wayfair, Segway, Deepower and Wilson's e-bikes - demanding that they immediately end the sale of prohibited motorized scooters and e-bikes to New York City residents and New York City businesses. We are also requesting that the individuals responsible at these online marketplaces meet with both DOT and NYPD officials as well as the New York City Law Department to develop cooperative measures aimed at eliminating the illegal distribution of these vehicles into our city.
Now, if these more than 40 companies do not comply and instead choose to continue selling these unlawful scooters and e-bikes, these online retailers risk facing civil penalties of up to $2,000 for each individual infraction. I am grateful for Attorney General James' quick and decisive action in issuing a consumer alert this past Friday, reminding consumers that not all electric vehicles for sale are safe or legal. Yet to address this issue at its root, we need even stronger measures to prevent these illegal vehicles from making it onto our streets in the first place. Going forward, we will work closely with the City Council and our partners in Albany, as well as Attorney General James, to explore further legislative avenues that will ensure that only the safest methods of transportation are the ones available to New Yorkers.
There is no way around it. Gabriel should still be with us today. He should be submitting his summer job applications and practicing for an upcoming interview. He should be enjoying his time off with his friends and spending summer evenings with his family. I know there is nothing that will ease the pain of his loss. However, we can still do right by the rest of New York City. And we can still ensure that Gabriel's legacy is one of saving the lives of others as we keep these vehicles off our streets in his name. That is the city we owe to every New Yorker, and that is the city we will deliver. Thank you. I will now pass it over to our partner in this work and so much more, Attorney General Tish James.
Attorney General Letitia James: Good morning. It's important that we recognize the human toll, the loss of life, due to e-vehicle crashes. As the mayor mentioned last week, we lost a teenage boy in Lower Manhattan, and last month we lost the woman on the Upper West Side. I am keeping these victims and their families and loved ones in my thoughts and in my prayers. We are honoring their memory with action to ensure no family in our city has to lose a loved one to illegal vehicles on our streets. I want to thank the mayor for bringing us together today and for his leadership in sending cease-and-desist letters to retailers selling illegal e-bikes and e-scooters, some call "e-motos". I'd also like to thank the City Council for their rapid response to this deadly issue and want to thank Speaker Julie Menin, because under her leadership, the Council has launched a sweeping review of e-bike and e-scooter safety in our city and has already started to propose legislative solutions to address this.
All of us are alarmed by this spike in e-bikes and e-scooter-related deaths and injuries in our city, and my office put out a consumer alert last Friday reminding businesses, consumers and families of the critical requirements in state law for these types of vehicles. Our laws set clear limits on e-bikes and e-scooters to help keep New Yorkers safe, but the riders and companies who ignore them are putting everyone on our streets in danger; and we are urging businesses and consumers throughout our state to follow the law and to keep unlicensed and unregistered motor vehicles off our streets, or you will be held accountable. I understand that it can be hard for New Yorkers to know if a vehicle is illegal if they are able to buy it online. And that is why I am proud that the mayor of the City of New York is sending cease-and-desist letters to stop these illegal sales. No one should have to fear for their lives when crossing the street. And I encourage New Yorkers to report those selling illegal e-bikes and e-scooters to my office at 1-800-771-7755. Again, 1-800-771-7755. I want to thank all the advocates who are here and the community leaders for being here today and for raising their voices on this life-and-death issue. This is a whole-of-government response and approach to end this crisis in New York for good. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Mamdani: I want to pass it over to our DOT Commissioner, Mike Flynn.
Commissioner Mike Flynn, Department of Transportation: Good morning, thank you, mayor and thank you, attorney general. Biking is one of the best ways to get around New York City. It's affordable, convenient and one of the most sustainable ways to travel. And legal electric bikes and scooters have expanded those benefits even further, giving thousands of New Yorkers - including families, older adults, delivery workers and people who may not be able to ride a traditional bicycle - the opportunity to choose a safe, efficient and affordable way to get where they need to go. But there are illegal devices on our streets that are causing confusion and creating safety risks.
Many of the devices that New Yorkers think are e-bikes and assume are legal are neither. And many of the retailers who sell these devices contribute to the confusion through their marketing practices and by selling products to New Yorkers that are illegal to operate on our streets. Let's be clear: these are motorcycles being marketed to New Yorkers as bicycles. They're heavier and faster than e-bikes and more difficult to control. There's also the problem of illegal high-speed electric scooters. Earlier this year, two New Yorkers lost their lives when an illegal e-scooter capable of going more than 50 miles per hour collided head-on with a cyclist. It should have never happened. Yet, retailers across the internet continue to advertise these motorcycles and super scooters as legal commuting options when they know - or should know - that these devices are illegal to sell and operate on New York City streets.
So, today we have one simple message to the companies that sell these illegal devices to New Yorkers and mislead people with their marketing: you're on notice. The City of New York will use every available tool to get these illegal devices off our streets and to make sure they don't end up there in the first place. Addressing this challenge will require a coordinated effort, so I'd like to thank our partners across City government, as well as the researchers and policy makers at DOT who helped make this happen. You make our streets safer today and every day through all the work you do to advance the cause of Vision Zero. Thank you.
Question: So, will there be an on-street enforcement aspect of this? I know you're talking about going after the sellers, but there's also a lot of these devices that are already on the streets. Will there be some sort of action by NYPD, because I know they are able to kind of seize and take away these devices?
Mayor Mamdani: So, this is the first step of what is going to be a continued focus when it comes to ensuring that we keep New Yorkers safe. And as you said, that first step is going to be the issuing of cease-and-desist letters to more than 40 online retailers. And you've heard this from the AG, you've heard this from the DOT commissioner; there are a number of New Yorkers who think that they are buying legal vehicles when they purchase these, because why would they think otherwise? And what we have found is these are some of the largest retailers in the country. And we are going to hold them accountable. They have until August 18 - I believe that's the date - until they have to comply with this. And after that point, it's going to be up to $2,000 per individual infraction. And as we continue to focus on this work, we will let New Yorkers know what the next steps are. For now, this is our focus.
Question: What were the parameters for choosing the 42 or over 40 retailers?
Mayor Mamdani: I think first and foremost is who is actually selling these kinds of vehicles. We're talking about e-bikes that go beyond the legal limit of speed; we're talking about scooters as well, stand-up scooters that go beyond the limits of wattage; and we're also talking about the mopeds that do not have VINs that are actually available to be seen by the naked eye. I don't know, Steve, if you want to add any additional details to that.
Question: There's a lot of conflation out there about what is an e-bike, what's an e-moto, a moped, you know, how is the city going to let people know like what is a legal device and what isn't - and also, you know, that has to do with some of the backlash against e-bikes.
Mayor Mamdani: I think first and foremost, we're going to go after those websites and retailers that are willfully selling illegal vehicles to New Yorkers. It should not have to be up to each New Yorker to know every single line of New York City law. We know the law very clearly. These retailers know the law very clearly, and if they don't, they have two weeks to learn it before we start to hold them accountable with up to $2,000 per individual infraction. And again, what we are asking them to do is follow the law that has been the law for more than five years. And yet they continue to violate it, not in a marginal way - we're talking about vehicles that can go sometimes more than double the legal limit of the speed. It's not one or two miles over. And they are doing this because they know that there is money to be made. However, as you've heard and seen from the attorney general, from the DOT commissioner, for us here, the most important thing is how to keep people safe, and it means taking action when we're seeing e-bikes that are going close to 40 miles an hour, stand-up scooters that might even be eclipsed at 50 miles an hour. These are not things that will keep New Yorkers safe, and we are going to hold those retailers accountable.
Question: So, let's talk about what happens after August [18]. How does the state or the city ensure that compliance and is able to monitor all 40 of these retailers to be able to determine how many fines will be assessed per sale? What's the method?
Mayor Mamdani: So, we are talking about a maximum fine of $2,000 that will be issued up to that amount for each individual infraction. And what we have seen in the past in the issuing of cease-and-desist letters is that you get immediate compliance for a number of those actors who are then alerted to what the fiscal cost would be of operating outside of the bounds of the law. And then there is the need, as you've alluded to, for regular monitoring of this. I'm going to bring up our corporation counsel to add to that.
Corporation Counsel Steven Banks: Good morning. If we get to the deadline and everybody complies, that is a great result. If people want to not follow up and comply, we'll take legal action. That could include fines; that could include bringing litigation to stop the advertisements that are resulting in people purchasing things that they think are legal. So, it's a two-fold approach. Give people an opportunity to conform their conduct, and if they don't, we will take action.
Question: But technically, the surveillance of all of this online activity - what's the mechanism for that? You know what I mean?
Banks: Well, the first mechanism is we put them on notice that we know that they're breaking the law. We're requesting that they meet with us and lay out how they're going to come into compliance with the law. If they meet with us and lay out a plan for compliance, great. If they don't, we will go after them in terms of fines and enforcement.
Mayor Mamdani: And I'll just add one thing, Melissa, before you go, which is that sometimes when we are taking these kinds of actions, we're speaking about companies that many of us may not know the names of, companies that may register themselves in a new name every other week. Today, we are speaking about companies like Amazon, Best Buy, Wayfair, some of the largest retailers in the country, and that they have been operating outside of the bounds of the law is something of immense concern to us and to New Yorkers.
Question: In the meantime, though, what can purchasers look out for if they're not super familiar with the rules? I know you're doing, obviously, public outreach today, but when you're buying a bike or a scooter, is it obvious in the listings on those websites that they're exceeding the rules? Are they marketing it that way? And also, how will the city know if they are complying?
Mayor Mamdani: If who is complying, the retailers? First and foremost, that they are not selling vehicles that go beyond the legal limits of speed and wattage. And what we found in some of this advertising - by and large, companies are not informing New Yorkers that these are beyond the illegal limits. It's not, here's a way to get around the law; it's, here is the quickest way for you to get to where you want to go. And I'm going to pass it over to our DOT commissioner to go into a little bit more detail as to what those limits are because that is one guideline for New Yorkers. And as you've said, you know, this is a cease-and-desist period until August 18. After that point, these companies are going to have to deal with our corporation counsel. And we also know that this is an issue that has been of immense focus [for] our attorney general as well.
Commissioner Flynn: Yeah, and I would echo what the mayor said, that at the end of the day, the most efficient way to get compliance is through the retailers. That's a much smaller universe. Of course, we also want to educate consumers, and at DOT, with our partners, we've been putting out a lot of material. You can see one example here next to us, right? This particular one is geared towards the retailers, and it's a very simple decision tree of: Does the e-bike go over 25 miles per hour? Does the scooter go over 20? There are also some limitations related to either the weight or the power of the motor of these devices. And it's not that complicated. I think for retailers, it should be pretty clear. For buyers, it's a little more complicated, and that's why we're focusing on the retailers. But education is one big piece.
Question: What about the stores in New York City? These vehicles are already in stores in New York City, so is the City going to do inspections in those stores to make sure that they're no longer carrying these types of vehicles?
Mayor Mamdani : The inspections that we are going to be carrying out are not simply online; they are going to be across all methods of sale. And again, I just want to echo what the DOT commissioner has said. This is not that complicated for these retailers. If they are selling an e-bike that can go faster than 25 miles an hour, that's illegal. If they're selling a stand-up scooter that can go faster than 20 miles an hour, that is illegal. If they are selling a moped that does not have a vehicle identification number and a license plate, that is illegal. These are quite straightforward when it comes to the laws, and yet we've seen the willful violation of this. But to your point, there's going to be inspection and accountability no matter what the method of sale is.
Question: I wanted to ask, why give them a grace period if they're already breaking the law? What makes you think that they will, all of a sudden, because of today's announcement, follow the law? And also, the $2,000 seems really low for Amazon, a billion-dollar company. Many of these companies are in the billions of dollars. $2000 doesn't seem like it's going to make a dent to them.
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I think what we've seen is that once we bring the actions of these kinds of retailers and companies into the sunlight, it becomes far harder for them to defend what they are doing. I'm going to bring up our corporation counsel to speak a little bit more about the specifics of it.
Banks: I don't know, Kelly, when you get a letter that says stop, and you don't stop, then you're liable for all the things that the law gives us the ability to do, which includes seeking injunctions and stopping people from continuing the conduct. You're right. For a very large corporation, $2,000 isn't that much, but facing an injunction to comply with the law is enforcing the law and protecting New Yorkers. In terms of giving them two weeks to come into compliance, that seems to me, as someone who's litigated against government a lot - giving someone who is out of compliance with the law an opportunity to cure their non-compliance seems reasonable. And for those that don't cure their non-compliance, then the full force of the law is what they'll face.
Mayor Mamdani: And I want to echo something that Corporation Counsel Banks has just stated earlier, which is that the point of this is not the collection of fines. The point is compliance. We want every single retailer to be in compliance. Our dream is that by August 18, we are not collecting a single fine because every one of these 42 companies is now in compliance. The most important thing here is that New Yorkers are safe. And I can tell you that being on the phone with Gabriel's mother, the heartbreak that she felt then [and] that she feels now, is one that no New Yorker should ever have to deal with.
Question: This question is for the attorney general. If you want to also answer the question, mayor, that's fine. We're talking about safety here, right? So, is there a legal remedy, perhaps for these companies to be forced to issue some sort of recall and, you know, have these customers return these devices and perhaps get their money back? Since we have so many out there on the streets. Can you force them to do this?
Attorney General James: So, there are so many recommendations that have been made. As the mayor indicated, the first step is compliance. And so, we issued an advisory - a warning - and then they will have until August 18. And then we will ensure compliance through injunctions. And there will be a number of inspections. We will - again - the whole of government; we will work very closely with corporation counsel to ensure that individuals know the law. And we will also be looking at whether or not the $2,000 fine is adequate. Whether or not we should increase it, but it's important to understand that it's $2,000 per infraction.
Question: Is it not possible to do that? To force them to?
Attorney General James: Everything is possible, and so we're looking at the possibility again of a recall. But at this point in time, it's all about enforcement and compliance with the law, ensuring that New Yorkers are safe.
Question: In January, Council Member Crystal Hudson introduced legislation to ban class three e-bikes, which is the e-bike that Gabriel was riding last week. Why go this route for online retailers instead of banning them entirely?
Mayor Mamdani: I think first and foremost, we are looking at a wide variety of avenues of how to take action on this issue. And that includes working with the Council on legislation that has been introduced prior, as well as on the legislation that was recently introduced. We also cannot afford to wait. We cannot afford to wait because we know the consequences of this are fatal for New Yorkers. And what we have seen is that this has been the law for six years. And these companies have willfully been violating that law.
What use is a law if it is not being enforced? And what we are going to do now is start to use every tool at our disposal to enforce this law and to ensure that whether you are a company that many of us have never heard of or the companies that we know are the wealthiest in the world, that you will be held accountable to this because New Yorkers' lives are at stake.
Question: My first question is, do you support any kind of legislation that would require e-bikers to be registered or licensed with the state?
Mayor Mamdani: I think the focus of today is tackling the root causes of what has led to the loss of many New Yorkers' lives. When it comes to registration for e-bikers, I do not believe that that would actually improve street safety, and that's not an approach that I believe we should move ahead with.
Question: The other question is, do you have plans to drastically expand the bike lane network? Because it was first introduced by Bloomberg before e-bikes were even a thing.
Mayor Mamdani: Sorry, could you restate the question?
Question: Do you plan to drastically expand the bike lane network?
Mayor Mamdani: I believe that we need to improve and expand the bike lane network. We need to ensure that every single New Yorker can travel around the city safely, no matter their mode of transit. And that is something that has been part of the conversations I've had with our DOT commissioner from the very beginning of our administration. We want to ensure every New Yorker can get around the city safely and never has to doubt whether their mode of transit is impacting their safety in that moment.
Question: Following up on the question about Crystal Hudson's legislation, Transportation Alternatives has also expressed support for banning the sale of e-bikes that can exceed 20 miles per hour. Do you support that legislation, and is there any way for you as mayor - can you unilaterally do something to stop the sale of those types of bikes today?
Mayor Mamdani: I think the first thing we can do is enforce the laws that have already been passed and what we're talking about - the different incidents, whether we're talking about Gabrielle or whether we are talking about the Queensboro Bridge - those are vehicles that should not have been on the road as per laws that had been passed years ago. And I look forward to whatever the City Council wants to put forward. We work with them as partners in this. Our question is always: "What will keep New Yorkers safe?" And right now, the enforcement of these laws - that's our focus, because that's something we can do in the next few weeks. So, we can do it with immediate action. We look forward to seeing what the Council puts forward as well.
[Crosstalk.]
Question: If, in a year from now, I go on Amazon and buy an illegal e-bike, like how would the city know? [Inaudible] tapped into my Amazon, or Amazon is going to be forced to send that your way?
Mayor Mamdani: This is going to be done through active monitoring of these retailers and what they are selling. It's not the question of what you are making an individual purchase of; it's the fact that these are being stocked and sold. And a lot of times we're talking not just about passively stocking these items; we're talking about active advertisement that is targeted to New Yorkers. This is something that every retailer should know. I would argue that many of them do know it and they are still operating outside of it because they have not yet seen enforcement. What they're going to see now is enforcement.
Question: So, I saw this X post from House Speaker Mike Johnson coming off the win of the progressive candidates yesterday, but did you see it? Because if not-
Mayor Mamdani: I have not followed his X [account].
Question: I want you to hear what he said. He said: "There is an urgent question facing America, are we going to maintain our status as the world's greatest superpower and beacon of liberty, opportunity, and security, or allow radical Marxist Democrats to destroy the very foundations that make us the envy of the entire world?" Then he has a new paragraph, "Democrats now openly express disdain for America and embrace the failed, dangerous, deadly path of communism. We must take a stand and fight to protect the greatest nation in the history of the world from being overrun by Mini Mamdanis."
Mayor Mamdani: That's a lot of characters. He must have the pro account. I'm assuming that's in response to Abdul El-Sayed's victory yesterday evening. And I think first I'd just like to congratulate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed on his victory. He ran a campaign where it was best described by his words of, "money out of politics, money in your pocket, Medicare for all." And if those simple commitments and beliefs are what drives Representative Johnson to these kinds of conclusions, I think it shows you how deeply out of touch the Republican party is with the concerns of working-class Americans, because what we have seen is, despite him facing more than $60 million in outside spending, he was able to prevail with a focus on a cost-of-living crisis and the way in which healthcare is exceedingly out of reach for those who have helped to make this country what it is.
Question: Following up on that, I just wanted to ask you [about] the characterization that some are making, calling him "Michigan's Mamdani." Have you had any conversations with him? And then also, what do you take away from that comparison in your similar things that you ran on?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I have had the privilege of speaking to Dr. El-Sayed a few times. What I will say, and this was years ago, once when he came to New York City, he can lift a lot more than I can, and I think that that is, we should give him his respect in that way. I don't think in any way this man is a "Mini Mamdani." I also think that what we're talking about is someone who has shone a light on the importance of public health and healthcare in our country for years. And I am proud to be part of a movement of politicians and candidates who are looking to put working-class Americans back at the heart of our politics, and that's our focus here in New York City, and just from what we're seeing in Michigan, it looks like that's what Michiganders want there to be their focus come November.
Question: You've obviously been outspoken about change in the Democratic Party. Is he the type of candidate that you see as the change of the Democratic Party?
Mayor Mamdani: Yes.
Question: Mr. Mayor, I have two questions for you. One is about the pied-à-terre tax rollout. Are you looking for potential property tax fraud, and what will you do if you find evidence of it? And then my second question is, I'm wondering if you've seen reports about a number of retired paraprofessionals here in New York City who were informed by TRS this summer - these are people who are on disability pensions - that their pensions have been miscalculated, some for 10, 12, 15 years, and were informed that their pensions will now be cut in half and are being asked to pay back a portion of those pension that they have been receiving for this entire time. What are your thoughts on that? What can the city do to help these [inaudible]?
Mayor Mamdani: I think on your first question, the point of this period is that out of the 8.5 million people who call the city home, the Department of Finance assessed that 17,000 households may be subject to the pied-à-terre surcharge and issued them a "you may be subject to" letter. They have until September 18 to appeal that assessment to the Department of Finance. They can do that either directly to the Department of Finance; they can do it by calling 311; they can go into one of the in-person centers in every single one of our five boroughs. And the point of this is to make sure that only properties, secondary homes of non-resident New Yorkers that are worth more than $5 million, are the ones that are being subject to this tax. I know there are some New Yorkers who bought their home and put it in a trust, others who bought their home and put it into an LLC, and therefore the City just wants to make sure that this is a primary residence holder. To your second question, the City is one of many parties when it comes to the stewarding of these pensions. And to my knowledge, the law department has come forward and identified this as a mistake that took place over many, many years, and the need for us to be in legal compliance to correct that moving forward. We are going to keep a close eye on it and make sure that we're following up.
Question: I wanted to follow up on the DOB report that was issued late yesterday following the Pfizer building. Inspectors went out and checked out 180 buildings tied to various contractors that may have been responsible for the buckled beam. They found about 10 percent of those - 19 of the 180 - required either partial or, in one case, a full stop work order, so about 10% percent. You find that many stop work orders when you go out and do a concerted effort - should the city, in general, be doing more inspections of more buildings?
Mayor Mamdani: We are going to continue to do these kinds of inspections because the safety of New Yorkers is paramount. Now, of those 180 inspections that were conducted, there were none that were deemed to be an immediate public safety threat to New Yorkers. However, as you said, there were some that required a partial stop work order, and some that required a full stop work order. And what we've also found, because I know in conversations that we've had about this in the past, there have been questions raised as to, is there a specific concern that should be had about office-to-residential conversions. And in these inspections and in our work assessing the landscape of our city, since the issue was raised with the Pfizer building, we have not found a reason to be concerned with those conversions innately.
Question: More inspections - I mean, I understand the office piece, and that's important, but this did kind of - like whoa, one out of 10 buildings we visited, there was a problem?
Mayor Mamdani: There are going to be more inspections and I also had the honor, frankly, of welcoming a number of those DOB inspectors and FDNY members to City Hall who went into that building and to thank them for their heroism, because it is truly a heroic act to go into a building that we all know is structurally unsound and do the work necessary to safeguard it.
Question: We have another death in Delaney Hall; it happened in custody, a person that was chronically ill apparently. I know you know that area when you were, I guess, in the assembly-
Mayor Mamdani: Ras Baraka.
Question: Ras Baraka was [inaudible]. New Yorkers are in there, we understand. What can be done? What can you, as mayor, or Attorney General James to join in with Mikie Sherrill
[inaudible] to bring accountability to that private jail facility?
Mayor Mamdani: I think, first and foremost, we can add our voices to the fact that Delaney Hall should be closed. That is something that you have heard from a number of elected officials. And yes, you're right that when I was a candidate, I was outside of Delaney Hall after Mayor Baraka was arrested and detained. And this is just one symptom of a federal administration's approach to immigration enforcement that has foregrounded cruelty and inhumanity. And I do believe that ICE should be abolished. I do think that there should be humanity back at the heart of the way in which our country conducts immigration enforcement. And what we are seeing is that these are not intellectual debates; these are conversations that have fatal consequences if we continue with the kinds of policies that we're seeing the federal government pursue.
Question: So, with El Sayed's victory, this is maybe the biggest potential prize for the American left in November now. Do you plan on formally endorsing him, maybe even going to Michigan to campaign?
Mayor Mamdani: My focus thus far has been on New York City, and what I will tell you is that I know that many New Yorkers were incredibly excited at the results. I tried to stay up until it was called, but then I eventually called it a day. But I do wish him the best.
Question: So, not totally closing the door on maybe going to Michigan?
Mayor Mamdani: I'm here right now.
Question: I wanted to ask you, though, just about his victory. He did especially well in higher-educated, higher-income areas, whereas his opponent picked up more support from more low-income parts of Detroit, rural areas with a lot of working-class residents. What do you kind of make of that dynamic, given that El-Sayed very much campaigned on a working-class-centered message?
Mayor Mamdani: I will leave much of the assessment to pundits. What I will say is that when you are facing $60 million in outside spending, you are facing almost what feels like surround sound across a state where people are hearing a message about you again and again and again. And to win this race as someone who is not currently holding elected office? It is a testament to what he ran on and also the way he ran the campaign. And I think I saw somewhere that he held more than 500 in-person events across the state of Michigan. That's the kind of work it's going to take to ensure that we are winning in November. And I truly give kudos to him and to the team that he built around him. I think the message of money out of politics, money in your pocket, Medicare for all, is one that even New Yorkers can relate to. Thank you all very much.
