New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani jumped into the Thomas Jefferson Pool in East Harlem while wearing a suit on Saturday, marking the start of the summer season. The event was held to celebrate the opening of 50 pools in the city and to promote expanded free swimming programs.
Moments of Mamdani swimming with children in the pool were captured by cameras. The event also aimed to highlight the 90th anniversary of New York's Olympic-sized open-air pools from the Works Progress Administration era.
Political tension surfaces
The celebratory event turned into a political clash as Mamdani targeted Bruce Blakeman, the Republican Party's gubernatorial candidate and Nassau County Executive. Mamdani demanded that Blakeman apologize for comments he made about Brad Lander, a congressional candidate endorsed by the Democratic Socialists.
Blakeman, in an interview with Newsmax after Lander's primary victory in NY-10, said, "Lander would be a camp guard in a concentration camp if he could."
Sharp response from Mamdani
Mamdani, describing Lander as "a proud Jewish New Yorker," called Blakeman's remarks "unacceptable and heartless." The mayor said comparing Lander to a "Nazi prison guard" was "disgusting" and argued that such rhetoric reflects the Republican Party's effort to "dehumanize anyone they disagree with."
Counterattack from Blakeman
Blakeman, in a statement to Fox News Digital, responded sharply to Mamdani's demand. "This comes from the same person who didn't attend the Israel Day Parade, called AIPAC members 'monsters,' and canceled the Puerto Rican Day Breakfast," Blakeman said. "Zohran Mamdani has no credibility. He is a bigot, an antisemite, and anti-American."
Mamdani has not yet responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
