By The American Tribune | Created at 2026-08-07 10:21:53 | Updated at 2026-08-07 12:21:35
2 hours ago
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was drowned out by boos and driven from the stage in less than a minute after attempting to address a pro-police crowd on Staten Island. Video from the event shows jeers beginning right as the Democratic socialist approached the microphone, and continuing throughout almost all of his brief remarks. Mamdani smiled through the hostile reception, shook hands with several people onstage, and made a quick exit.
The confrontation unfolded Tuesday evening at the NYPD’s National Night Out Against Crime celebration on the Midland Beach boardwalk. Approximately 3,500 residents and families were gathered for the 43rd annual event, which brought police officers and community members together for food, activities, and neighborhood outreach. Mamdani’s appearance came during a citywide tour of National Night Out gatherings during his first year as mayor.
The crowd began booing before Mamdani could settle in behind the podium. Some attendees raised their thumbs down, while others shouted over the mayor as officers and event organizers watched from the stage. The noise continued as Mamdani attempted to open with a friendly greeting and acknowledge the people who had gathered for the event. The crowd showed little sign that they intended to let him complete a speech.
The New York Post posted video of the appearance, showing Mamdani walking onto the stage as the crowd erupted. “It’s a pleasure to be here,” the mayor said, though his words were nearly swallowed by the reaction from the boardwalk. Mamdani also wished attendees a “Happy Night Out Against Crime” before cutting his appearance short. The boos continued without any meaningful break as he tried to speak.
Mamdani briefly turned back toward the crowd before walking away from the podium. He maintained a smile as he shook hands with people standing behind him, but the reception did not improve before his departure. Although the mayor later posed for photographs with some people attending the celebration, his attempt at winning over the larger crowd had already been a total failure.
Watch Mamdani’s attempt to address the crowd here:
https://x.com/nypost/status/2085424834813530258
"*" indicates required fields
The setting made the reception particularly notable. The NYPD describes National Night Out as an annual campaign intended to strengthen relationships between police officers, residents, neighborhood organizations, and local businesses. The department scheduled celebrations at more than 70 locations across New York City on August 4th, including events featuring barbecues, children’s activities, and opportunities to meet local officers.
The hostile reception also reflected Mamdani’s poor standing with Staten Island voters in general. Although he won the 2025 mayoral election citywide, Staten Island was the only borough he failed to carry. Election results showed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo winning the borough with roughly 55% of the vote, while Mamdani received only about 23%. Republican Curtis Sliwa finished just behind Mamdani on Staten Island with approximately 21%, making the borough by far the weakest part of the mayor’s coalition.
The appearance also came after months of disagreement over NYPD staffing. Mamdani and the City Council adopted a budget that kept the department’s authorized uniformed headcount at 35,000 officers and removed a previously proposed increase of 580 officers. PoliticsNY reported that the staffing question remained unresolved as Mamdani toured the National Night Out events alongside Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Mamdani used the other appearances to pose for photographs and promote what he says is the city’s reported reductions in shootings and murders.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.
