Hasan Piker enters the spotlight after Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani clash in mayoral debate
-AP
The New York City mayoral debate at Rockefeller Plaza turned tense Thursday night as Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Democratic nominee Zohran Kwame Mamdani clashed over integrity, foreign policy, and political experience.
The exchange began when Cuomo, the former New York governor, criticized Mamdani’s past remarks on Israel and Palestine and brought up the progressive assemblyman’s association with streamer Hasan Piker.
“The assemblyman will not denounce Hamas,” Cuomo said. “The assemblyman will not renounce Hasan Piker, who said America deserved 9/11.”
Mamdani swiftly responded, condemning Piker’s comments while redirecting attention to Cuomo’s record.
“I find the comments that Hasan made on 9/11 to be objectionable and reprehensible,” he said. “The occupation is a reference to international law and the violation of it, which Mr. Cuomo has no regard for since he signed up to be Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal defense team during the course of this genocide.”
Later in the debate, as the conversation turned to the city’s health-crisis response, Cuomo questioned Mamdani’s readiness for executive office. Mamdani countered with one of the evening’s most quoted remarks:
“What I don’t have in experience, I make up for in integrity. And what Andrew Cuomo lacks in integrity, he could never make up for with experience.”
What I don't have in experience, I make up for in integrity.
And what Andrew Cuomo lacks in integrity, he could never make up for with experience. pic.twitter.com/Toe2sTE8NRThe moment drew applause from parts of the audience and quickly circulated on social media, with viewers highlighting it as a defining exchange of the night.
Mamdani, 33, currently leads in several polls with about 49 percent support. He has campaigned on progressive policies such as free bus service and city-owned grocery stores, earning endorsements from Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 following sexual harassment allegations, has emphasized his decades of government experience as key to addressing New York’s post-pandemic challenges.
The debate also featured Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, though the primary focus remained on the exchanges between Mamdani and Cuomo.
With early voting underway, analysts suggest Thursday’s debate could shape perceptions of character and leadership heading into the final weeks of the mayoral race.