NYC mayor-elect was asked one question about Chuck Schumer, and his staffer immediately shut down the interview

New York City’s next mayor Zohran Mamdani had a rough moment with reporters just one day after winning his election. His team suddenly ended an interview with Politico when things got uncomfortable.

According to New York Post, reporter Joe Anuta was talking to Mamdani when he brought up Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. He asked if Schumer should face someone running against him in 2028. But Mamdani never got the chance to answer.

“I’m sorry, Joe, we gotta go,” a Mamdani spokesperson interrupted, according to the report. The interview ended right there, making it clear that talking about Schumer is a sensitive topic for the new mayor-elect.

That Schumer question was probably awkward for more than one reason

The question put Mamdani in a tough spot because of his rocky relationship with top Democrats. “The unapologetic Democratic socialist received a mixed-to-cool reception from many establishment Democrats during his phenomenal rise from dark-horse mayoral candidate to mayor-elect.”

Schumer never backed Mamdani when he was running for mayor. After Mamdani won, Schumer did congratulate him online. But the fact that he stayed quiet during the race shows how uneasy some party leaders feel about the new mayor.

Meanwhile, more left-leaning Democrats have been happy to support Mamdani. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was one of his biggest supporters during the campaign. The two met for lunch on Wednesday in Queens, and Mamdani posted about it on X.

The meeting happened as tensions continue to grow between different wings of both major parties.

“A busy first day as your Mayor-elect: early morning interviews, transition announcements and meetings. More to say on all of it tomorrow,” Mamdani wrote. “But a highlight was lunch with my Congresswoman @AOC at Laliguras Bistro in Jackson Heights.”

The lunch with Ocasio-Cortez makes the Schumer situation even messier. Some Democrats want AOC to run against Schumer herself. If Mamdani had said anything about challenging Schumer, it could have made his relationships with party leaders even worse.

Schumer has been careful to keep his distance from Mamdani. He never said who he voted for in the mayor’s race. This shows that top Democrats are still trying to figure out how to deal with their new progressive mayor.

His win has big effects for both New York City and the whole Democratic Party, much like other recent political controversies over leadership decisions.