From WNYC Studios. I'm Brian Lehrer. This is my daily politics podcast. It's Thursday, August 7th.

Now we continue our summer round of interviews with the New York City mayoral candidates. We've heard so far from third

party candidates, Andrew Cuomo, and Jim Walden, and the Republican Curtis Slewa. Today, it's the

Democratic nominee, the Assembly member from Queens, Zeran Mamdani. As with the others, we'll talk for

about 20 minutes. Then we'll have analysis and your reactions. Our political reporter, Liz

Kim, is listening in and standing by for that. Issues we'll have analysis and your reactions. Our political reporter Liz Kim is listening in and standing

by for that. Issues will discuss, include the Assembly Member's proposal for free universal

childcare and how to pay for it, the evolution of his views about the NYPD, school segregation in the

city, including the specialized high schools. He went to Bronx Science.

And what he might do is mayor regarding the Middle East. And we'll touch on the new

political development from the New York Times story that President Trump is thinking about

intervening in the race on behalf of Andrew Cuomo. Mr. Mamdani, always good of you to come on.

Welcome back to WNYC.

Thank you so much for having you, Brian. It's always a pleasure, and I want to express my condolences as well for Leonard's passing.

Thank you. Let's start with public safety, including the NYPD, after the mass shooting at the Midtown Office building that took the life of NYPD detective, did a role Islam among the victims.

Your critics highlighted something you posted in 2020 that said, quote,

the NYPD is racist, anti-queer, and a major threat to public safety, unquote.

I know you no longer speak publicly in those terms,

but do you still believe the NYPD is racist, anti-queer, and a major threat to public safety? No, I do not. And I've made clear over the course of this campaign that the NYPD and

police officers in general are critical partners in creating public safety for each and every New Yorker,

each and every person who calls the city their home. And my agenda as it pertains to public safety for each and every New Yorker, each and every person who calls the city their home.

And my agenda as it pertains to public safety is to actually make it easier for those officers to focus on the serious crimes that many of them joined the department to address.

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