Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: Good morning, everyone. Before we speak about the heat impacting our city, I want to take a moment to update New Yorkers on another type of summer weather. A storm will move into New York City today. Heavy downpours will likely continue into the night. We may see severe thunderstorms and wind gusts reaching up to 50 miles per hour. We have been preparing for this storm since Thursday. Agencies have cleared catch basins across the five boroughs and performed targeted inspections of flood-prone neighborhoods. The Downed Tree Task Force is on alert and ready to respond to fallen trees and clogged basins, while the Tow Truck Task Force is prepared to support stranded vehicles.
NYCEM has issued a travel advisory and with the Norway [vs.] Senegal kicking off this evening at New York-New Jersey Stadium, we have also issued a gridlock alert. We are encouraging New Yorkers to budget extra time for your commutes tonight. Exercise caution when you travel. Take public transit whenever you can. Do not bike or drive through flood waters. And if conditions are severe, seek shelter indoors before traveling. To stay up to date on live conditions, please sign up for Notify NYC by texting NOTIFYNYC to 692-692.
Now let's turn to what brings us to the Rotunda this morning: extreme heat. I want to acknowledge a number of leaders from across our agencies as well as administrations. But before that, I want to acknowledge our attorney general, Tish James, for her leadership on this issue.
The TEMP Coalition and the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) for their advocacy.
I want to thank John Mosquera, a ramp agent at LaGuardia Airport working in the heat for sharing his story with us. And I want to thank all of the unions, workers and advocates that are here. And alongside them, members of my administration, including Deputy Mayors Julie Su, Helen Arteaga [and] Julia Kerson; our NYCEM Commissioner Christina Farrell; Chief Counsel Ramzi Kassem; DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin; DOB Commissioner Ahmed Tigani; DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei and MOCEJ Commissioner Louise Yeung.
Now while it may be cool today, we have already had a number of sweltering days this month. And with summer in full swing, we know temperatures will only continue to rise. New Yorkers know that extreme heat can turn deadly and fast. Every year, more than 500 people in our city lose their lives due to the heat. And as climate change accelerates, summers are only growing hotter and more dangerous. Last year, we witnessed the hottest day in New York City in over a decade. On June 24, temperatures reached 99 degrees in Central Park and 102 degrees at JFK. We've already weathered two extreme heat emergencies this spring. That's why we're here together today, to keep New Yorkers safe and to help our neighbors prepare for high temperatures.
First, air conditioning is one of the best ways to keep cool. New Yorkers should seek cool spaces throughout the summer, like an air-conditioned home of a family or a friend, or even your local library. And during a heat emergency, defined by a heat index of 95 degrees or higher for at least two consecutive days, or a single day at 100 degrees or high at any point, we will activate our comprehensive network of free cooling centers across the five boroughs at public hospitals, libraries, senior centers and other public locations. You can find a cooling center near you, including pet-friendly locations, by visiting the city's Cool Options Map, accessible at nyc.gov/beattheheat, or by calling 311.
And now for the first time in city history, more than 2,200 LinkNYC kiosks will display directions to the nearest NYC cooling center within a 10-minute walk. We will also issue targeted alerts through our city's Advanced Warning System to protect our most vulnerable neighbors, like older New Yorkers and those with chronic illnesses. When an extreme heat emergency is declared, we will issue a Code Red alert. Directing DHS to intensify outreach operations, distribute water and other essential supplies and direct homeless New Yorkers to cool safe indoor spaces.
I ask that those New Yorkers look after those who may be vulnerable. Help your auntie install her AC. Help your older neighbor find a cooling center. And if you see someone struggling, please call 311 immediately so that outreach workers can assist. For New Yorkers looking for other ways to stay cool, our Parks Department offers hundreds of spray showers, sprinklers and drinking fountains across the five boroughs. They also make it possible for New Yorkers to enjoy a summer of sand and fun across our 14 miles of public beaches, open daily with lifeguards on duty from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. And if sand isn't really your thing, our free public pools will open for the season come June 27.
And for those who want to keep cool with a fire hydrant, anyone 18 or older can obtain a free city-approved fire hydrant spray cap from their local firehouse. If you're cooling down with a hydrant, do the right thing: use a spray cap. It allows hydrants to be opened safely and prevents the flow from compromising our firefighting operations. Just like with today's storm, you can stay up to date on live heat conditions across our city by signing up for Notify NYC. Once again, you could do so by texting NOTIFYNYC to 692-692, or you can visit nyc.gov/beattheheat to register.
While we protect all New Yorkers this summer, we want to also focus on a critical segment that is not only impacted by the heat, but [also] essential to keeping our city running: workers. More than 1.4 million New Yorkers, a third of our city's workforce, work outside for extended periods of time. Without paid breaks or easy access to restrooms, these workers have a higher risk of heat exhaustion, heat stroke, dehydration and serious diseases like liver failure and kidney disease.
For too long, working New Yorkers have been overlooked when it comes to heat protections. Legislation and other efforts that would create an enforceable workplace heat standards on both the state and federal levels have been stalled for years. That is why today I am signing our city's first-ever executive order to protect workers from extreme temperatures.
This executive order will launch a multilingual messaging campaign to protect workers from heat-related illness, require every city agency to create heat illness prevention plans, direct DOB to review all heat-related construction safety requirements, compel DOHMH to analyze workers' comp claims and strengthen reporting and data collection on worker heat illness. The EO also directs DOB to notify and remind both property owners and contractors of their obligation to report heat-related incidents during periods of extreme heat. Additionally, it directs agencies like DCWP to enforce rules like those that give food delivery workers the right to use bathrooms at restaurants for which they make deliveries.
This executive order expands the scope of our extreme heat preparedness efforts to include the backbone of this city: working people. They deserve a government that understands their well-being as paramount to profit, one that fights for access to shade, rest and water on the hottest days, and one that delivers on its conviction that every person, whether they work on the tarmac at JFK, sort packages in a warehouse or write memos in an office, deserves to return home safe at the end of the day.
I know this is a city full of people who love to spend their summer days outside. Wherever you are this summer, be it in the Rockaways, Orchard Beach or Prospect Park, make sure you have water, make sure that you are wearing sunscreen and make sure you are looking out for your fellow New Yorkers. We ask you to stay hydrated, stay cool and stay safe, New York, because in the immortal words of my friend, Sean Francois, "If you stay ready, you ain't got to get ready." Thank you very much. And with that, I will pass it over to our Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su.
Deputy Mayor Julie Su, Economic Justice: Good morning, everyone, and thank you so much, mayor. It is officially summer in New York City. For millions of working New Yorkers, heat isn't just uncomfortable. It's hazardous. Extreme heat kills more Americans every year than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined. And we know, because of climate change, it is only getting worse. The number of days above 90 degrees is projected to increase significantly in the years ahead. And despite all of this, extreme heat is still not recognized under federal law as a workplace hazard. No enforceable national standard, no guaranteed protections [and] workers on the clock in the heat with no clear legal right to shade, rest or water. Even though we know that those basic steps save lives.
Two years ago, when I led the U.S. Department of Labor, we worked to change that. We proposed the first nationwide standard to protect workers from the hazards of heat in history. But at the time that we left office, it wasn't finished. And the current federal administration has gutted worker protections, including putting the standard aside. So, New York City, under Mayor Mamdani, is acting. A few weeks ago, I sat down with workers right here at City Hall: construction workers building our skyscrapers, delivery drivers racing to get packages and orders to their destination [and] baggage handlers on the tarmac at JFK and LaGuardia. And not just outdoor but indoor workers too.
In warehouses and kitchens, 95 degrees outside becomes 120 degrees inside. These workers - many of them Black, Latino and immigrant New Yorkers who make up the backbone of our workforce - all said the same thing: they can't stop for water when they have a quota to hit. They cannot step into the shade, much less a cooling center, when they're on the clock. When they don't get breaks to stop and catch their breath and cool down, they have no choice but to power through. And that's when tragedy strikes. They feel faint, dizzy [and] exhausted. Many are rushed to the hospital. And what would actually help isn't complicated: water, rest [and] shade. Knowing the signs of heat illness before it's too late. A plan in place before the temperature spikes, not after someone collapses. These basic protections are the difference between a worker who makes it home safe at the end of the day and one who doesn't. But the people who need these things the most are often those with the least power to ask for them and who bear the greatest risks when they do so. And that power imbalance is why we are acting today.
To be clear, this is not just a question of fairness. It's not just about doing the right thing for workers. It's also about doing a smart thing for our economy. What this mayor and this administration knows is that what hurts workers also hurts our economy. Extreme heat means lower productivity. And that lost work capacity is projected to cost the global economy $2.4 trillion by 2030. So doing right by workers is actually good economic policy. So today, I'm asking employers in this city, do not wait for Washington. Do not wait for tragedy to strike. The mayor isn't waiting. Today's executive order is about that, doing the work and leading by example. How each of us uses our power matters. The mayor knows this. Workers asked us to have their backs, and today we show that we do. Let's do this together. And our next speaker is someone who's led on this issue, Attorney General Tish James.
Attorney General Letitia James: I want to thank Mayor Mamdani for bringing us here together to focus on this most important issue, an issue involving environmental justice, an issue that these workers behind me have been talking about for years and years and years. And I truly want to thank him for his leadership. I also want to thank all of his administration. I want to thank the unions. They too have been focusing on this issue as well, because extreme heat is more than just being uncomfortable - extreme heat is dangerous; extreme heat kills; and in New York City, extreme heat contributes to hundreds of thousands of individuals who are hospitalized.
And while every New Yorker feels hotter summers, workers often carry the greatest risk - construction workers, airport workers, delivery workers, building service workers and so many others who are in the sun and high humidity near heavy machinery or in workplaces where heat becomes unbearable.
And this is a matter, as I mentioned, of environmental justice, because workers of color and immigrant workers and low-wage workers are disproportionately represented in jobs most exposed to dangerous heat. And they are too often forced to choose between their paychecks and their health, and that is unacceptable.
And that's why today's executive order that is going to be signed by the mayor shortly is so critically important. It will create a coordinated public information campaign; heat illness collaboration across city agencies; stronger construction safety review; better injury reporting and closer examination of worker compensation claims; and most importantly, access to bathrooms. Can I get an amen? These are all practical steps that will save lives.
And in the Office of the Attorney General, we have really been active on this issue. We have led multi-state coalitions, joining all of my colleagues across the nation, calling on OSHA to establish strong heat protections for indoor and outdoor workers. We've petitioned OSHA for emergency extreme heat standards, which right now are stalled. We've urged Congress to act, even at interim rule, while federal rulemaking continues, but in fact, it is stalled. And we have supported efforts across our state to make workplaces safer and healthier.
Worker protection cannot depend upon the forecast. It must be built into public policy. It reflects our values as a city and as a state. And today, that is why our mayor is doing just that, focusing on the needs of New Yorkers and particularly our workers who are oftentimes ignored. So, to the workers of New York who basically built this city, those who have made our skyscrapers possible, you are the backbone of this great city. We care about you each and every day, and we need to demonstrate that, and today is a demonstration of that. We see you. We value you. And we will keep fighting to protect you. And we all know that one of the most underreported heat-related illnesses is heat stroke, which oftentimes results in death. And I will not sit idly by and allow these workers to die while I serve as the attorney general. I stand with the mayor of the city of New York, and we will do all that we can do to protect each and every one of you. Thank you.
Deputy Mayor Su: Our next speaker works at LaGuardia Airport, John Mosquera.
[Crosstalk.]
John Mosquera: Good morning, everyone. My name is John Mosquera, I have been working as a ramp agent at LaGuardia Airport for a company called Alliance Ground International, or more so AGI, for almost two years. I'm from the Bronx, and every day I spend about two hours commuting to work and about two hours to get home. Like so many airport workers, I make sacrifices just to show up and do my job. And I'm proud of the work I do. But I'm here today because no worker should have to ask themselves a simple question before starting their shift: "Am I going to make it home safely"? And unfortunately for airport workers like myself who work outside in extreme heat, that's a real question you have to ask.
Last summer, during one of the hottest days of the year, I was working on a tarmac in about 100-degree weather. The tarmac - nobody knows - it absorbs heat and it was scorching that day. It's like you're working in the oven. I remember I was working inside the cargo hold of the plane, loading bags. Loading bags is hard work and the bags are heavy, let me tell you. But when you add in the extreme heat, it can feel overbearing. Working inside the cargo hold felt at least 10 degrees hotter - closer to 110 degrees. So, you can imagine how uncomfortable it felt being inside. Suddenly, as I'm loading the bags, I start seeing spots - like when you press on your eyelid too hard and you see stars. I lost consciousness and just laid in the belly of the plane from how hot it was. When I was woken up a few minutes later, I was struggling to catch my breath. [I] was disoriented and felt scared, and my supervisor came in and asked if I was okay. When I told him I was ok, I had a short break and some water and was sent right back to work. I finished my 10-hour shift that day. That should never happen. Nobody should collapse from heat on a job and then expect it to just keep going. What if I had been alone that day? What if I hadn't gained consciousness? I think about that every day now while I'm on the tarmac.
And my story isn't the only one. In July 2024, during a crazy heat wave, my coworker, Garvey Barrett, spoke up and asked management for water. But instead of getting water, he got a suspension for two days. We risk our health working in dangerous temperatures, and when one of us speaks up for basic protections, we fear retaliation. That is not what safety looks like. That is now what respect looks like. Nobody should be punished for trying to keep themselves together and their coworkers safe. What scares me the most is that I'm one of the youngest ramp agents out there. Most of my coworkers are older than me. If I could pass out in the belly of a plane, what could happen to them? How many more of us have to get sick before employers take the heat seriously? How many of us have to collapse before we get real protection? How many warning signs have to be ignored before something worse happens?
We are not asking for luxury. We're not asking [for] special treatment. We're asking for safety. We're asking for water, breaks from the heatwaves on the scorching tarmac, shade and protection. We are asking for employers to take heat seriously because at the end of the day, no bag moves without us, no flight leaves without us. No company makes a profit without us. But no bag, no flight and no company is worth a worker's life. We deserve dignity, we deserve protection and we deserve to make it back home safely to our families every single day.
Deputy Mayor Su: Thank you, John, for your work and for your story and for coming into City Hall to remind us of the urgency of what we're doing here today. Our next speaker is our NYCEM Commissioner Christina Farrell.
Christina Farrell, Commissioner, New York City Emergency Management: Good morning. At Emergency Management, we plan for every hazard this city faces. Year after year, as you've heard, the one that takes the most lives is heat. It works quietly, and it falls hardest on the New Yorkers who keep this city running through the summer in the heat, outdoors and indoors. That burden is not shared equally, and this order begins to address that. Protecting workers from heat takes a whole city. This order puts [the Department of] Health [and Mental Hygiene], Department of Citywide Administrative Services, [Department of'] Buildings, and agencies across government to work alongside the unions and workers who know these conditions best. Emergency Management is proud to do our part.
We will develop heat safety guidance and deliver it in the languages New Yorkers actually speak; keep the public informed through Notify NYC; and help every New Yorker make a plan, gather supplies and stay informed before the heat arrives. That's why, just like the mayor, I strongly urge New Yorkers to sign up for Notify NYC by texting NotifyNYC to 692-692.
Today, with no enforceable heat standard for workers in place above us, New York City is choosing to lead. Our heat response has always stood, ready for every New Yorker, because heat affects everyone, especially and including older adults and those with chronic health conditions and those who live alone. This order builds on our heat response with new, targeted protections for the workers who are most exposed to it. To everyone who gets up each morning to build this city, feed it and move it, this is a city that is working to keep you safe.
Deputy Mayor Su: Thank you very much, commissioner. And our last speaker is DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Allister Martin.
Allister Martin, Commissioner, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Let me get one more round of applause for my brother John for sharing his story.
Thank you everybody for joining us this morning and thank you, Mayor Mamdani, for leading. Today is another example of the great work that you do every single day to make this city healthier, safer and more affordable. The mayor's executive order puts working people first, because no one should have to risk their health in the heat trying to put food on the table or to pay the rent.
Today's announcement also coincides with the release of the Health Department's annual Heat Mortality Report, which is a sobering reminder of what's at stake. Our data shows that every single summer, approximately 500 New Yorkers die of heat-related causes. Most of those deaths happen quietly - the heart disease, the lung disease [and] other chronic conditions all worsened by the heat. It's why heat is called a "silent killer." But for some New Yorkers, the threat from heat is direct. And workers are among the most exposed because they don't have a choice to stay inside. That is what this executive order begins to address.
This executive order tasks the New York City Health Department with publishing guidelines for employers and for staff with outdoor work, who do outdoor work this season. And we are working with our sister agencies to get that guidance into the hands of workers and employers this summer, because guidance only saves lives when those people who need it have it. We will be conducting an analysis of workers' compensation claims to measure the real impact of heat on the job because you cannot fix a problem you have not measured. And for next summer, my team is developing heat preparedness guidelines that cover all workers, indoors and outdoors, because heat doesn't stop at the door. But that is the work ahead. Right now, today, as temperatures rise, here's what every New Yorker needs to know: Heat can exacerbate underlying conditions, and heat stroke itself can be fatal. And the first thing you can do to protect yourself is learn to recognize the warning signs of heat stroke. The hallmark symptoms include things like hot or dry skin, confusion, [non-responsiveness] or loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting. If you feel any of these symptoms, stop what you're doing and get help immediately. Call 911 or get to your nearest ER. But as a city doctor, I want you to do one more thing for me. Don't just watch for these signs in yourself, watch for them in the people around you. Check on your neighbors. Check on your parents and grandparents. Check on the elderly person down the hall who may live alone. Because in this city, the people most likely to die from heat are often the people least likely to ask for help. Your health is always our priority, but especially now as the summer temperatures rise.
So, at the New York City Health Department, we are committed to providing safe places to get out of the heat, especially in the communities most at risk. Just last week, for the first time, we opened our neighborhood health action centers as cooling centers in places like Brownsville, East Harlem, in Tremont in the Bronx, working alongside our New York City emergency management partners. All summer long, New Yorkers will be able to find reprieve from extreme heat and get connected to services at the same place. To find a cooling center near you, visit nyc.gov/beattheheat.
Folks, we're in for a historic summer here in New York. Last week, right here at City Hall, the city celebrated its first Knicks Championship in 53 years. The World Cup games are underway. And a certain notable celebrity's wedding is right around the corner - sorry, Swifties. This is gonna be a summer to remember. It's also going to be a hot one. Mayor Mamdani and our colleagues across City government are working to make sure New Yorkers can enjoy this summer safely, at home, at the game, and at work. But we need your help. I urge you to look out for each other. Because the way this city gets through a summer, a hot summer, is the same way we celebrate a championship: together. Thank you.
Deputy Mayor Su: We do have one last speaker, deputy mayor for Health and Human Services, Helen Arteaga.
Deputy Mayor Helen Arteaga, Health and Human Services: Buenos días, everyone, good morning. Are we excited about the hot summer we're gonna have? It's gonna be an amazing summer, but we also want to make sure that New York City is safe. I'm very proud to be standing with these amazing city leaders behind me and our mayor here, who are - we're literally taking actions first. I really want to thank Deputy Mayor Su for putting this not only into action, but words and making sure that we're making changes here in New York City. I want to make sure that this summer we're taking a whole person approach. We're ensuring that all New Yorkers get to enjoy the summer and staying safe and cool. But we're also making sure that our workers are making sure that they stay nice and safe. Thank you, John, for your story, and we're here to protect everyone. But make sure while you have your water, your sunscreen, you also have one of these, to make sure we're taken care of our neighbors, our coworkers - and when in doubt, drink some water, get some shade. But if you're real - if you see those little dots in your eyes, please make sure you go to your nearest hospital urgent center. We welcome this and we're super excited - and mayor, we're excited to see you sign.
[Mayor Mamdani signs executive order.]
[Crosstalk.]
Question: Hi, Mr. Mayor and deputy mayors, can you tell us what exactly the executive order does that is new? Is it just a public information campaign or is it creating some new regulations for public workers and private workers? And if the latter, how many people does it affect and how would it be enforced? What's new there?
Mayor Mamdani: So, first I just also want to acknowledge Commissioner Dalton who's here with us, and we have leaders from across City government. The reason being that this is an executive order that impacts the policies and the enforcement across multiple agencies. So, I'm going to go through a few specifics of what the order does. The first is the DOHMH in coordination with NYCEM and DCAS, all of whom leadership you see here, will develop worker heat illness prevention guidance and education materials to prevent heat-related illnesses and injuries for workers. A lot of this is motivated by the recognition that there is a glaring blind spot when it comes to what City government's preparation has been for workers, especially those who are working outside in these kinds of months.
Secondly, the Department of Buildings is going to review current construction safety and training requirements to determine if those requirements are sufficient to actually protect workers against these kinds of conditions. We've seen - as you've heard earlier - these conditions affect New Yorkers across a wide variety of sectors. They affect those who are working at our airports, they affect those who are building our airports; and we want to make sure that this executive order applies to the full breadth of that spread of New Yorkers. And then also, what we're going to have here is actual enforcement for rules and regulations that have been on the books, but have not actually been used, not actually been followed through on. And we know that the worth of a law also comes from the willingness to follow through on that law.
So, a few specific examples that we spoke about earlier. One is DOB will be proactively reminding property owners as well as contractors of their obligation to report heat-related incidents occurring on construction sites. We know that this is a crisis; we also know that there's likely under-reporting of the scale of this crisis. We want to make sure we have an accurate understanding of just how widespread this is. And finally, we spoke about this earlier, but we already have regulations to protect outdoor workers and their access to public bathrooms - you can look at Administrative Code Section 20-563. However, there has not been widespread enforcement of that regulation. And so, this executive order also directs city agencies like DCWP to fully enforce those laws to ensure that food delivery workers are not only able to but are also informed of their right to use the bathrooms of restaurants for which they make deliveries.
Question: Just a follow up, this is not going to guarantee that AGI, for example, will provide John with the right to take a break and have some shade or be able to get water without being penalized, right? Or is it going to do that?
Mayor Mamdani: This is going to provide a full comprehensive review of actions both within the public sector and the private sector-
Question: It's not giving him the right to take a water break?
Mayor Mamdani: This is starting the process to look at every single rule that's enforced and implemented, as well as ones that need to perhaps be introduced that would protect workers like John.
Question: [Inaudible] the weather warning that we - so there's torrential downpours anticipated. There were changes in housing rules last year with City of Yes regarding cellar dwellings. And I was wondering if those rules are being looked at or reviewed or if we're going to keep going with those, because they were loosened even though after some hurricanes there were some people who had died.
Mayor Mamdani: I think that at the core of this we want to make sure that each and every New Yorker is safe. And so, one of our focuses when it comes to accessory dwelling units is how to bring those units up to code. So, we are proud that as part of our comprehensive housing platform, one prong of it is making it easier for homeowners to build those accessory dwelling unit and have them be built up to the code. Because what you're also referring to is the fact that many New Yorkers live in basement apartments today; and many of them are living in apartments that are not up to code. And that comes to the fore in moments of flash flooding when we realize that there aren't sufficient methods of egress from those kinds of apartments.
Now, we do not want to be an administration whose answer to these kinds of crises is just a punitive one, where we are looking to find homeowners after the fact. We want to make it easier for homeowners to be in compliance and to help them create more housing supply that still allows people all of the rights that they should have as tenants. So, that has been proceeding, where we have actually started to launch a number of these programs. To your point, however, I would advise every New Yorker to stay up to date over the course of this flash flooding. It is difficult to stay on top of exactly when it's going to hit, the amount of rainfall. We have seen those numbers vary drastically in the last - just over the of the final 30 minutes before a storm is supposed to hit. And the best way to do so is texting NotifyNYC to 692-692.
Question: So, you talked a lot about climate change and currently there's a number of challenges to the citizen idling reporting program, including one in Congress to make it illegal for citizens to receive the bounties when they make successful complaints. Your administration recently celebrated collecting nearly $10 million in unpaid fines from Amazon for idling. Do you support the city's longstanding practice of giving people who make these complaints a share of the fine if their complaint is successful?
Mayor Mamdani: You said this is a city longstanding practice?
Question: The idling program.
Mayor Mamdani: Yeah, I think that, you know, we have - we are looking to make it easier for New Yorkers to breathe in this city. And part of that means that we are taking every measure that we can to prevent not only the flouting of our laws, but also the rampant idling that we see across our city and long-standing city policy is something that we do support.
Question: Governor Hochul has formed an exploratory committee for New York City to host the 2042 Olympics, Winter Olympics, and I believe Deputy Mayor Su is on that exploratory community. So, [can] she explain what that might mean? And mayor, on that issue, do you think it's a good idea? And I have a second question on a totally different topic for you.
Mayor Mamdani: I think when anyone asks me about the Winter Olympics, the first thing that comes to my mind is: "Feel the rhythm, feel the vibe, come on boys, it's bobsled time." I'm now going to pass it over to our deputy mayor.
Deputy Mayor Su: I can't beat that answer. I think what we are demonstrating is that we can host big events. Every opportunity to show off what New York City can do is something that we love, and so we're starting early for planning.
Question: Some members of the Jewish community, including Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer, were alarmed by the language you used at the rally last week, calling AIPAC "monsters who move dark money." These are phrases that invoke old antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories. What do you say to those who are concerned that the language you used is dangerous?
Mayor Mamdani: Now, I want to be very clear. We're talking about a status quo where children are being killed on a daily basis. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military since the so-called ceasefire. Even an Al Jazeera journalist, Ahmed Wishah, was killed this past Saturday by an Israeli strike. And when I am speaking about AIPAC, I'm speaking about an organization that has been supportive of the status quo, that has fought any attempt to actually deliver safety to people not just in Palestine, but frankly, through much of the region. And it is a status quo for immorality. It is one that I will not accept. And when it comes to the way in which they defend the status quo, oftentimes they defend it through direct contributions, as we are seeing right now in New York-13. Oftentimes, they also support the status quo through dark money, by filtering money that would have previously been directly from AIPAC now through other shell organizations whose identities of their contributors are only made clear after an election. And I think that it is important that when we ask ourselves how such death and destruction is happening overseas, we also name those who allow it to take place.
Question: The word choice, though - "monsters." Do you have any regret, would you clarify or apologize for that language?
Mayor Mamdani: So, I was quoting Gramsci, who said: "The old world is dying and the new world struggles to be born. Now is the time of monsters." I used the term to describe all those who are preventing the birth of a new world. Not solely AIPAC, but frankly, super PACs at large who are spending millions of dollars in deceptive and misleading ads that are blanketing airwaves, not just in the case of Darializa Avila Chevalier. But also, we that kind of PAC spending when it comes to oppose Brad Lander, who's running for Congress, as well as Claire Valdez, as well as a number of other races. And I also use the term to describe a politics that for far too long has asked working people to lower their expectations. It has asked working people to be satisfied with small victories as their wages grow even smaller. And my use of the term is a broad use that speaks to the untenable nature of a status quo that is quite literally starving people in the city all in the name of sustaining something that we simply cannot defend any longer.
Question: For our primary eve, much has been said and written about your involvement, so two questions on that. First, there's been some discussion about you weighing in on some of these races, particularly the intersection of Hispanic leadership and in Hispanic communities. I'm wondering if you, at the end of this process, have any regrets about anything you've done in this primary cycle. And then I have a follow-up, but I'll let you answer that, please.
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I'm incredibly excited at supporting two Latina candidates in Darializa Avila Chevalier, who would be the first Afro-Latina to represent that district in Congress. I'm also excited to be supporting Claire Valdez, who's running in New York 7. And I think in both of these candidacies, you actually also see a commitment to working people that will uplift them in a city that is the most expensive in the United States of America. And now I just want to speak a little bit on the question of these primaries. I understand that in our city, there will be a variety of opinions when it comes to which candidate to support and which district to be involved in. One thing I do want to make clear that I find unacceptable in our city is the attempt to use the term Haitian as a slur. The trafficking and anti-Black sentiment and narratives that we have seen specifically in New York-13 when it comes to Darializa Avila Chevalier is something that I cannot stand here and say is in line with the values of the city. Let the arguments that are made for who deserves whose vote be on the basis of the race itself, not on the race of the candidates or on what communities they are alleged to belong to. And I think that it has been quite troubling to see that in the last few days.
Question: My follow-up question is turnout is already tracking a bit lower than your historic election last year. There's been some comparisons, fair or unfair, to President Trump and how he maybe necessarily hasn't been able to bring out his base for those he is supporting. What do you think of those comparisons? Are you concerned by any of the voting numbers you're seeing?
Mayor Mamdani: I'll always tell New Yorkers about the fact that they have an opportunity still to vote in these elections. Tomorrow is election day, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Go to vote.nyc, and make sure that you cast your ballot. I also will not blame New Yorkers, because they're too busy trying to make ends meet in the nation's most expensive city to be able to think about the problems not of today but of tomorrow and the leaders that could resolve them. However, I do know that more and more New Yorkers are starting to think this race, because we're getting to the final point of it. And I'll say that, you know, in our election last time around, I was lucky in that I didn't have to compete with the Knicks first championship in 53 years. I didn't have to complete with the first World Cup being hosted by our city in a generation. And I didn't have to compete with what will be a summer for many of us to remember. And yet, I've seen in the last few days more and more New Yorkers coming out to vote. And I think some of it may be because also the Board of Elections is putting out those limited-edition basketballs, soccer balls. But I'm very, very excited to see more and more New Yorkers casting their vote.
Question: Do you agree with the comments of your endorsement candidate, Darializa, on opposing deportations regardless of criminal record?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I've been clear that I'm proud of our sanctuary city status. It is a status that we have had in this city for decades. It's also a status, that when there is the conviction of more than 170 serious crimes, does allow for coordination with the federal government on that. However, beyond that, that is something that we've made clear we are not going to allow this city to become the civil immigration enforcement arm of a federal government that is hell bent on a deportation regime that would rip families apart across the city.
Question: Do you have a comment on the comments that she made in the recent interview?
Mayor Mamdani: I've been clear about where I stand on this, and I'm looking forward to making sure that a city where more than 3 million New Yorkers are of an immigrant background, including myself, is one where they understand we're going to follow the laws that we have and we're proud to do so.
Question: Can you explain why you're choosing not to say who you're endorsing in New York-12 or who you voted for. Is it because you liked all the candidates? And then secondly, how many of the endorsed candidates in the congressional races need to win? I know some experts are saying at least two need to out of the three that you endorse. What would you say is a good number to really show that you have this public strength?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I'm proud to have endorsed eight candidates that are running for office - three for Congress, [and] five in contested races for the state legislature. And I am looking forward to New Yorkers hearing about Claire, Darializa [and] Brad; [and] when it comes to the state legislator, Aber Kawas, Eli Northrup, Illapa Sairitupac, Samantha Kattan [and] Brian Romero. These are all candidates that I'm very excited about. And I'm gonna spend the next, you know, today, tomorrow, doing everything that I can to help them. And then, I've said that when it comes to New York-12, I've had the pleasure of serving alongside two of those candidates in Micah Lasher and Alex Bores. Nina Schwalbe recently dropped by Gracie Mansion and left a pamphlet at the gate. But I will be keeping my vote between myself, my ballot, and I actually did keep the pen I used. If it tells you who I voted for, so be it. Alright, thank you.
