Zohran Mamdani has been clear all along that he's not a fan of ICE, but in the past he seems to have mostly avoided directly using the phrase "Abolish ICE." So, for instance, last year he gave an interview to Medhi Hasan in which he was asked directly if Democrats should embrace "Abolish ICE" and he skirted around that. He did say ICE was a "rogue agency" and that, as mayor, he would resist them, but he didn't repeat the phrase.
Now that he's in office, Mamdani seems to have adjusted his views. In an appearance on The View today he was asked by Alyssa Farah Griffin how he felt about abolishing ICE. This time he said he was all for it.
“I am in support of abolishing ICE. What we see is an entity that has no interest in fulfilling its stated reason to exist,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani claimed deportation raids would “rip” the Big Apple apart.
Here's the video clip of his full statement. Note the applause the from the reliably left-wing audience.
The mayor of America’s largest city just came out in favor of ABOLISHING ICE — and when he said it, The View’s audience ERUPTED in applause.
— Overton (@overton_news) January 20, 2026
Zohran Mamdani was asked whether he agreed with the calls from radical Democrats to dismantle ICE...and he said yes:
FARAH: “In light of… pic.twitter.com/e5zPPdbuqM
When prompted by Sunny Hostin, Mamdani also doubled down on calling the shooting of Renee Good a "murder." "I don’t know how else to describe what we saw in Minnesota," he said. He continued, "People asked why did I say the word murder. I asked them to look at that video and tell me what they would call it and we are being asked to not believe our own eyes."
🚨Mamdani: "I don’t know how else to describe what we saw in Minnesota. People asked why did I say the word murder. I asked them to look at that video and tell me what they would call it and we are being asked to not believe our own eyes."pic.twitter.com/MKZebFB0eN
— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) January 20, 2026
I've looked at that video and I don't see murder. I see justifiable self-defense with the first shot and, possibly, some sort of manslaughter with the later shots through the side window. But I don't think the video backs up a murder charge. There was no evidence of intent or planning. The officer's gun came out the moment the car moved toward him. It was a reaction.
Anyway, I don't think Mamdani cares much about any of that. He's playing politics on TV and his base wants him to say these things so he's saying them. And as politics go, the politics of this issue look pretty good for Democrats right now. ICE is unpopular and Dems support the protests against them:
Over the course of the term, overall approval of the deportation program started net positively, became more divided over the summer, and then hovered near that division for months. In the wake of events in Minneapolis, it dropped to its lowest overall mark of the term...
Thinking about what should be next for ICE, the recent events in Minneapolis appear to have at least partially reinforced preexisting views about the deportation program. Democrats say recent events mean ICE operations in the U.S. should be decreased, though they already opposed the program. Republicans either say it means operations should be increased or kept the same; they've long favored the program.
Here are the actual numbers:
NEW @cbsnewspoll: More Americans say ICE being too tough; Republicans feel protesters have gone too far. https://t.co/dV2lTAePTC pic.twitter.com/kz6RYQoyVn
— Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) January 18, 2026
This isn't an issue where one side has overwhelming support, but among Democrats what Mamdani is saying is probably popular or at least within the Overton window. He's unlikely to lose any support over it.
Finally, speaking of support, I can't end without noting what a love fest this interview was. Here's Whoopi Goldberg saying that if Mamdani can do what he claiims, he'll "help remake the nation."
Whoopi to Mamdani: “If you can do what you say you can do, you will not only remake the city, but you may help remake the nation.”
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) January 20, 2026
I always knew the ladies on The View were commies.
pic.twitter.com/Oca3TSq4BS
We'll see. I think it's far more likely that a lot of Mamdani's socialist plans for rent freezes and government grocery stores are going to wind up being a disaster in a few years. We'll find out soon enough.
