NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was pressed on Sunday by CNN’s Dana Bash about why he has yet to endorse New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
“You‘ve been asked numerous times if you will endorse Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor. You always say you‘re going to continue to talk. There are two key questions here that you haven‘t answered. One is, will you ever endorse him? And two, what do you need from him to get your endorsement?” Bash asked Schumer during “State of the Union” on Sunday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., endorsed Mamdani last week in a post to social media. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is reportedly in talks with Mamdani about endorsing the socialist candidate for mayor, the New York Post reported on Sunday.
Schumer told Bash that he’s going to continue to talk to Mamdani, who he said he has a good relationship with.
Sen. Chuck Schumer was pressed on why he has yet to endorse Zohran Mamdani during a CNN interview on Sept. 21, 2025. (CNN/StateofTheUnion)
NY STATE DEM BOSS REFUSES TO ENDORSE MAMDANI, CAUSING HUGE RIFT IN PARTY
“What’s the holdup?” Bash asked.
“I’ve got to continue talking to him. And that’s what I‘m going to do,” Schumer responded.
Bash asked if he was worried that endorsing a Democratic socialist would damage the Democratic Party’s brand, and potentially his chances in the Senate.
Schumer repeated himself again and said, “I’m going to continue talking to him, Dana.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks with reporters outside of the Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on September 10, 2025, in Washington, D.C. ( Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
POLL POSITION: JUST HOW LARGE IS MAMDANI’S LEAD IN THE NYC MAYORAL RACE?
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., criticized his New York colleagues over their lack of support for Mamdani earlier this month.
“Many Democratic members of the Senate and the House representing New York have stayed on the sidelines,” Van Hollen said during an event in Iowa. “That kind of spineless politics is what people are sick of. They need to get behind him and get behind him now.”
New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani attends a news conference in the Bronx where he was endorsed by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie on Sept. 17, 2025, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
Van Hollen also went after the Democratic Party as a whole, arguing, “We’ve become a party that too often trims its sails.”
“Too cautious, too rudderless,” he said. “Too attached to poll-washed, pundit-rinsed and donor-dried messages. What comes out of the wash is all bleached and blow-dried.”
Fox News Digital requested comment from Mamdani’s campaign but did not immediately hear back.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News’ Alex Miller contributed to this report.
