UnHerd with Freddie Sayers The Zohran Mamdani debate
Nov 3, 2025
In a heated debate, Ross Barkan, a columnist, defends Zohran Mamdani's progressive policies on affordability, while Miranda Devine and Caroline Downey raise alarms about his impact on public safety. They argue that Mamdani's calls for defunding the police could destabilize the city. Lindsey Boylan counters by highlighting Mamdani's outreach to diverse neighborhoods and focus on critical services like childcare. The discussion dives into tense trade-offs between affordability and safety, probing whether Mamdani can appeal to broader demographics while avoiding pitfalls.
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Subway Scare Shapes Safety Concerns
- Caroline Downey described being cornered on a subway platform and relieved when police arrived.
- She used this experience to argue she wouldn't feel safe under Mamdani's policing stance.
Policy Agenda Versus Persona
- Ross Barkan argued Mamdani's image mixes fact and fiction and emphasized his policy agenda.
- He highlighted universal child care, free buses, and rent measures as core, popular planks.
Public Safety Reframed
- Barkan says Mamdani recanted defund-the-police rhetoric and aims to appoint Jessica Tisch.
- He frames the Department of Community Safety as targeted mental-health response, not police abolition.