Politics

(NEW YORK) — Zohran Mamdani, the presumptive Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, told ABC News in a wide-ranging interview aired Wednesday that he plans to win over moderate voters — even as a self-identified Democratic socialist — as he runs in the general election.

He said he also believes the Democratic Party needs to refocus on what working-class Americans are going through.

“I think that the Democratic Party must always remember what made so many proud to be Democrats, which is a focus on the struggles of working class Americans across this country,” Mamdani told ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott.

“And I think that there is a need for a new generation of leadership,” he added.

The 33-year-old State Assembly member, who campaigned on a progressive economic platform, declared victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo as results in Tuesday’s closely watched primary rolled in.

Asked how he’d respond to voters who are nervous about his age and relative inexperience, Mamdani pointed to his campaign fundraising and sheer number of volunteers, as well as meetings he said he’s had with deputy mayors and commissioners from many mayoral administrations, “all as part of my commitment to building a team that is united, not by ideology, not by past relationship or knowledge, but frankly, by excellence.”

Mamdani also spoke with Scott about addressing concerns from Democrats about the “Democratic socialist” label, when he would be open to collaborating with President Donald Trump and reaching out to Jewish New Yorkers.

Embracing the Democratic socialist label – and winning over moderates

Mamdani has proudly identified as a Democratic socialist — a label that some Democrats have expressed concerns about, especially as some Republicans have seized on the label to claim that all Democrats are socialists or far-left.

“What do you say to those Democrats who have concerns about that term, Democratic socialist, that you so proudly claim you are?” Scott asked.

“I would say that I hear them, because there’s room to have disagreement and tension in any one party. And for too long, we’ve thought of politics as an act of purity, where you only work with those that you agree with on every issue… And there are going to be many Democrats, both here in this city and across the country, who have a different lens of what it is that they see us needing in this moment,” Mamdani said.

“But ultimately, we agree on the importance of addressing affordability, and that’s at the core of our campaign.”

How would he win back voters who may think the policies Mamdani ran on are too far to the left of where they think the Democratic Party should be?

“I would tell them to look at the results of last night,” he said, referring to the primary on Tuesday. He called the results a “clear reflection of a mandate to make this city affordable” and one that showed Democrats united in support of his economic proposals.

“And it shows that for a long time, what we’ve heard in terms of the analysis of this city and its politics is actually out of step with where people are.”

He added later that he hopes to win the support of people who would otherwise vote for incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who he criticized as “the original architect of this affordability crisis over the last few years.”

As to why voters should support him over Adams, he said, “I’m someone who will make the city more affordable, and because what we’ve seen is that this present has been delivered to us by the policies and the politics and even the politicians of the past. It’s time for a new generation of leadership. It’s time for a politics of the future.”

Adams, speaking on Fox News on Wednesday, criticized Mamdani as a “snake oil salesman,” saying, “I delivered for the city and we’re not going backwards.”

Working with, or opposing, Trump

When asked about comments from President Donald Trump on social media calling him a “Communist Lunatic,” Mamdani shrugged off the epithet, saying he’d encourage Trump to learn about his policies, and that he’d work with Trump on affordability but would resist the president’s deportation plans.

“The next mayor of New York City will have to work with the Trump administration. Are you willing to do that? Will you do that?” Scott asked.

“I will work with the Trump administration when it is to the benefit of New Yorkers,” Mamdani said. “My approach will never be reflexive, whether in agreement or opposition, but if it comes at the expense of the New Yorkers that I’m running to serve, then, no, I will not be working with the administration on harming the people that I look to represent.”

Asked by Scott how he’d manage that relationship, Mamdani reiterated wanting to collaborate with Trump on lowering the price of groceries – pointing to his campaign plan to open “a network of municipal-owned stores” – but also reiterated not wanting to assist the president with immigrant detentions.

Outreach to the Jewish community

Mamdani has faced some pushback, given New York’s large Jewish population, over his history of comments and activism opposing Israel, including his criticism of Israel over the war in Gaza. In response, he has emphasized policies to combat antisemitism and said that he wants to focus on city issues.

“How do you gain the trust of Jewish voters in New York City?” Scott asked.

Mamdani brought up his campaign plan to increase funding for anti-hate crime programming, but acknowledged a divide between his views on Israel and those of many in the Jewish community.

“Ultimately, my comments have been on critiques of the Israeli government’s policies, and I know that there are many New Yorkers who may disagree with me on those same critiques,” Mamdani said. “And yet that disagreement is still rooted in the shared sense of humanity.”

As for his strategy to reach out to Jewish voters, Mamdani said he was ready to “to introduce myself again and again” to every New Yorker, including Jewish New Yorkers, given the low name recognition he started out with in the race.

ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday both continued to counter a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment that the attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities did limited damage by saying it was incomplete and claiming news accounts were demeaned the B-2 pilots who dropped the bombs.

Speaking at a news conference as he was set to leave the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Trump claimed the pilots are “devastated” by the suggestion the strikes were not a complete success.

He was asked several times on Wednesday about the Defense Intelligence Agency’s initial assessment that the bombings of the Natanz, Isfahan and Fordo facilities likely set back Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months. He acknowledged the receipt of the report but noted it was incomplete.

He snapped back at reporters raising questions about it, repeating his claim Iran’s nuclear program was “obliterated,” and shifted the focus to the pilots who carried out the strike.

“You should be praising those people instead of trying to find out by getting me by trying to go and get me. You’re hurting those people,” Trump told reporters.

Later Wednesday, in a Truth Social post, he said Hegseth would hold a news conference Thursday morning “in order to fight for the Dignity of our Great American Pilots.”

“They felt terribly! Fortunately for them and, as usual, solely for the purpose of demeaning PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP,” he said in part. “The News Conference will prove both interesting and irrefutable.”

During that news conference Thursday, Hegseth angrily slammed reporters for “undermining” the success of the pilots.

“There are so many aspects of what our brave men and women did and, because of the hatred of this press corps, are undermined because your people are trying to leak and spin that it wasn’t successful. It’s irresponsible,” he said.

Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also explained he operation and said he was not pressured by the president.

“I’ve never been pressured by the president or the secretary to do anything other than tell him exactly what I’m thinking, and that’s exactly what I’ve done in the highway. There’s nothing that I’ve seen that suggests that we didn’t get exactly what we wanted to hit in those locations,” he said.

Trump later said in a Truth Social post that the news conference was “the greatest, most professional, and most ‘confirming.'”

Hegseth’s comments amplified his and Trump’s vocal opposition to the press the day before.

The president claimed in his Netherlands news conference that he had received a call from Missouri, where the pilots are based, about the intelligence report and the news accounts about it, saying he had been told they were “devastated, because they were trying to minimize the attack.”

“I spoke to one of them. He said, ‘Sir, we hit the site. It was perfect. It was dead on,’ because they don’t understand fake news,” Trump said.

The Pentagon referred questions from ABC News to the White House.

Trump added about the pilots that “they were devastated. They put their lives on the line.”

Since Saturday’s attack, Trump and his officials have repeatedly praised the B-2 pilots for the mission but stepped up referencing them as part of the pushback on Wednesday. Hegseth, standing next to Trump, came to the microphone to argue news reporters and outlets “don’t care what the troops think.”

“These pilots, these refuelers, these fighters, these air defenders, the skill and the courage it took to go into enemy territory flying 36 hours on behalf of the American people in the world to take out a nuclear program is beyond what anyone in this audience can fathom,” Hegseth said.

At the same time, Hegseth and Trump downplayed the report’s initial findings about the damage.

“The report said what it said and it was fine. It was severe, they think, but they had no idea. They shouldn’t have issued a report until they did, but we’ve got the information,” Trump said.

Trump earlier cited an Israeli intelligence report that he insisted assessed the “strike on Fordo destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility totally inoperable.”

Military officials have said there is no doubt the sites sustained significant damage, but that a “battle damage assessment” would take time to complete, as no Western officials have been able to personally inspect the sites as of Wednesday.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said in a statement posted on X late Wednesday that “Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed,” and also slamming the news media. A source with knowledge of Gabbard’s assessment told ABC News her description came from new U.S. intelligence.

“The propaganda media has deployed their usual tactic: selectively release portions of illegally leaked classified intelligence assessments (intentionally leaving out the fact that the assessment was written with “low confidence”) to try to undermine President Trump’s decisive leadership and the brave servicemen and women who flawlessly executed a truly historic mission to keep the American people safe and secure,” she posted in part.

Hegseth contended that the preliminary reports and images spoke for themselves.

“So, if you want to make an assessment of what happened at Fordo, you better get a big shovel and go really deep because Iran’s nuclear program is obliterated and somebody somewhere is trying to leak something to say, ‘Oh, with low confidence we think maybe it’s moderate,” he claimed.

-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson, Kelsey Walsh and Luis Martinez contributed to this report.
 

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(WASHINGTON) — Trump added about the pilots that “they were devastated. They put their lives on the line.”

Since Saturday’s attack, Trump and his officials have repeatedly praised the B-2 pilots for the mission but stepped up referencing them as part of the pushback on Wednesday. Hegseth, standing next to Trump, came to the microphone to argue news reporters and outlets “don’t care what the troops think.”

“These pilots, these refuelers, these fighters, these air defenders, the skill and the courage it took to go into enemy territory flying 36 hours on behalf of the American people in the world to take out a nuclear program is beyond what anyone in this audience can fathom,” Hegseth said.

At the same time, Hegseth and Trump downplayed the report’s initial findings about the damage.

“The report said what it said and it was fine. It was severe, they think, but they had no idea. They shouldn’t have issued a report until they did, but we’ve got the information,” Trump said.

Trump earlier cited an Israeli intelligence report that he insisted assessed the “strike on Fordo destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility totally inoperable.”

Military officials have said there is no doubt the sites sustained significant damage, but that a “battle damage assessment” would take time to complete, as no Western officials have been able to personally inspect the sites as of Wednesday.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said in a statement posted on X late Wednesday that “Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed,” and also slamming the news media. A source with knowledge of Gabbard’s assessment told ABC News her description came from new U.S. intelligence.

“The propaganda media has deployed their usual tactic: selectively release portions of illegally leaked classified intelligence assessments (intentionally leaving out the fact that the assessment was written with “low confidence”) to try to undermine President Trump’s decisive leadership and the brave servicemen and women who flawlessly executed a truly historic mission to keep the American people safe and secure,” she posted in part.

Hegseth contended that the preliminary reports and images spoke for themselves.

“So, if you want to make an assessment of what happened at Fordo, you better get a big shovel and go really deep because Iran’s nuclear program is obliterated and somebody somewhere is trying to leak something to say, ‘Oh, with low confidence we think maybe it’s moderate,” he claimed.

-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson, Kelsey Walsh and Luis Martinez contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called President Donald Trump “Daddy” on Tuesday, reacting to the president’s recent use of expletives when he accused Iran and Israel of violating a ceasefire agreement.

Early Wednesday morning during a bilateral meeting between Trump and Rutte during the NATO Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Trump likened the countries of Israel and Iran to “two kids in a schoolyard” that had a “big fight.”

“You know, they fight like hell. You can’t stop them. Let them fight for about two-three minutes, then it’s easy to stop them,” he continued.

Rutte raised eyebrows when he interjected, “Daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get them to stop.”

“You have to use strong language,” Trump agreed. “Every so often you have to use a certain word.”

One day earlier, Trump became visibly frustrated about the Israel-Iran conflict, blurting an expletive before departing the White House en route to the summit.

Trump was receptive to Rutte’s nickname, saying during a press conference later Wednesday that the secretary-general meant it in an affectionate manner.

Asked if Trump views his NATO allies as his “children,” the president responded, “No, [Rutte] likes me. I think he likes me. If he doesn’t, I’ll let you know. I’ll come back and I’ll hit him hard, OK? He did it very affectionately, ‘Daddy, you’re my Daddy.'”

Rutte later defended his use of the word and continued to pile praise on Trump, describing him as a “good friend.” He also said his language is a matter of taste.

On Trump’s decision to strike Iran and the ceasefire, Rutte said “I think he deserves all the praise.”

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(WASHINGTON) — Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was briefly hospitalized Wednesday morning after he got lightheaded at the gym, his spokesperson told ABC News.

He was treated for dehydration and released Wednesday, the spokesperson said, after going to the hospital “out of an abundance of caution.”

By Wednesday afternoon, the New York Democrat was back at work at the Capitol, the spokesperson said.

“He wants to remind everyone to drink some water and stay out of the heat,” the spokesperson added.

An oppressive heat wave is blanketing the East Coast — with highs close to 100 degrees.

Excessive heat warnings are in effect for a number of cities, including Washington, D.C.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

 

 

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(WASHINGTON) — Following his closed-door meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO Summit on Wednesday, President Donald Trump didn’t rule out sending Ukraine monetary and defense aid as he voiced frustrations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

During his press conference at the conclusion of his trip to The Hague, Netherlands, Trump signaled a willingness to provide Ukraine with additional aid and sell or send Patriot air-defense missiles to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia.

“They do want to have the anti-missile, missiles,” Trump said of Ukraine. “As they call them the Patriots, and we’re going to see if we can make some available.”

Trump’s openness comes as Zelenskyy told ABC News earlier this month the United States diverted anti-drone weapons, previously promised to Ukraine under a Biden administration agreement, to the Middle East.

“You know, they’re very hard to get. We need them to. We were supplying them to Israel, and they’re very effective, 100% effective. Hard to believe how effective,” Trump said.

“As far as money going, we’ll see what happens. There’s a lot of spirit,” Trump added.

Trump also appeared to shift his tone when describing his conversation with Zelenskyy, a relationship marked by many pivots.

“He was very nice, actually. You know, we had little rough times sometimes. He was uh – couldn’t have been nicer. I think he’d like to see an end to this. I do,” he said of Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy offered similar praise of Trump, calling their meeting “long and substantive” while affirming he told him Ukraine is ready to buy more U.S. weapons.

“With the President, we discussed the protection of our people — first and foremost, the purchase of American air defense systems to cover our cities, our people, churches, and infrastructure,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Ukraine is ready to buy this equipment and support American arms manufacturers. Europe can help as well,” Zelenskyy said. “We also talked about possible joint drone production. We can strengthen each other.”

During his press conference, Trump added Zelenskyy was fighting a “brave” and “tough” battle while putting pressure on Putin to show more willingness to end the conflict.

“Look. Vladimir Putin really has to end that war. People are dying at levels that people haven’t seen for a long time.”

Then, when pressed on why he wasn’t able to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine quickly as he adamantly claimed while on the campaign trail, Trump again pointed the blame towards Putin.

“It’s more difficult than people wouldn’t have any idea,” Trump said.

“Vladimir Putin has been more difficult. Frankly, I had some problems with Zelenskyy. You may have read about him, and it’s been more difficult than other wars.”

Trump’s public praise of Zelenskyy marks a shift in tone for the President, who has had public battles with the leader of Ukraine.

Most notably in February, a public Oval Office spat between the two officials led to a scrapped bilateral mineral deal, which wasn’t finalized for two months until the pair sat down together on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral.

Then, in recent weeks, as Trump focused on negotiating an agreement between Iran and Israel, he left last week’s G7 Summit in Canada early, skipping out on a bilateral with Ukraine.

However, after their meeting on Wednesday, Trump displayed more compassion for the situation in Ukraine in a moment highlighted by his exchange with a Ukrainian reporter who said her husband was a Ukrainian soldier while she and her children fled to Warsaw for safety.

“Wow, that’s rough stuff, right? That’s tough,” Trump said, asking the reporter many personal questions before answering her policy question.

“That’s very good question. And I wish you a lot of luck. I mean, I can see it’s very upsetting to you. So say hello to your husband. Okay?” Trump said.

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(NEWARK, N.J.) — New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging she assaulted law enforcement officers outside of an immigration detention facility, her office said.

McIver appeared in a federal court on Wednesday for her arraignment after a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment earlier this month charging her with “assaulting, resisting, impeding and interfering” with federal law enforcement officers.

The Democratic congresswoman has alleged the prosecution is politically motivated and her office called the charges “baseless.”

“Rep. McIver has confidently entered her official plea: not guilty. She is crystal clear that she will not back down as leaders across this country are targeted for speaking up,” her spokeswoman, Hanna Rumsey, said in a statement Wednesday. “These charges have always been about politics and Rep. McIver will not be deterred from doing the work the people of New Jersey elected her to do. The Congresswoman will not fold.”

On May 9, McIver and several other members of Congress were at Delaney Hall, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Newark, to conduct oversight.

Tensions escalated when a federal officer ordered Newark Mayor Ras Baraka to leave a secured area of the facility or face arrest, and pushing and shoving allegedly occurred, according to prosecutors.

“During her continued attempts to thwart the arrest, McIver slammed her forearm into the body of one law enforcement officer and also reached out and tried to restrain that officer by forcibly grabbing him,” the Department of Justice said in a press release following the indictment. “McIver also used each of her forearms to forcibly strike a second officer.”

Following the indictment, McIver said the “facts are on our side.”

“The facts of this case will prove I was simply doing my job and will expose these proceedings for what they are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation,” she said in a statement at the time. “This indictment is no more justified than the original charges, and is an effort by Trump’s administration to dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused and scare me out of doing the work I was elected to do. But it won’t work — I will not be intimidated.”

Supporters of McIver gathered outside the Newark federal court on Wednesday, with some calling for the closure of Delaney Hall.

If convicted, the maximum penalty for the charges in the indictment ranges from one to eight years, according to interim New Jersey U.S. Attorney Alina Habba.

“As I have stated in the past, it is my Constitutional obligation as the Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer for New Jersey to ensure that our federal partners are protected when executing their duties,” Habba, President Donald Trump’s former defense attorney, said in a statement following the indictment. “While people are free to express their views for or against particular policies, they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those officers serve.”

Baraka was arrested at the facility and charged with trespassing, though Habba later dropped the charge.

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(WASHINGTON) — At a confirmation hearing Wednesday, President Donald Trump’s pick for the director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Susan Monarez, faced questions about her stance on vaccines — after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a vaccine skeptic, has recently made controversial choices around them

Monarez was clear in her support for vaccines.

“I think vaccines save lives. I think that we need to continue to support the promotion of utilization of vaccines,” Monarez said.

Her comments came as she was asked by Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders about a recent decision reported by POLITICO that Kennedy has decided to end U.S. funding for a global vaccine alliance, Gavi.

“I wasn’t involved in that decision making. If I’m confirmed as a CDC director, I will certainly look into it, and I’m happy to follow up with you,” Monarez said.

Kennedy has long held many vaccine-skeptic views, refuted by experts and high-quality studies, long before he joined the administration, but he has insisted he is not “anti-vaccine” and rather “pro-safety.”

Earlier this month, Kennedy removed all 17 sitting members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee and replaced them with new members. The move has been controversial, with some experts saying it makes the U.S. “less prepared for infectious disease threats.”

Monarez also stood apart from Kennedy on her views on autism, and whether there is any link between the neurological disorder and childhood vaccinations — which Kennedy has long raised as a potential reason for rising rates of autism diagnoses.

“I have not seen a causal link between vaccines and autism,” Monarez said, asked by Sanders if she agrees with the American Medical Association’s stance “that there is no scientific proven link between vaccines and autism.”

Kennedy, in his own confirmation hearing, refused to acknowledge that there is not a link between vaccines and autism, causing him to nearly lose the key vote of Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican and a doctor.

Kennedy has since launched a major effort at NIH to look into the causes of rising autism diagnoses.

The myth that vaccines cause autism was born out of a fraudulent 1998 study, hypothesizing that the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine caused intestinal inflammation, which, in turn, led to the development of autism.

The paper has since been discredited by health experts, retracted from the journal in which it was published, and its primary author, Andrew Wakefield, lost his medical license after an investigation found he had acted “dishonestly and irresponsibly” in conducting his research.

More than a dozen high-quality studies have since found no evidence of a link between childhood vaccines and autism.

Monarez outlined her credentials in her opening statements, touting her experience with health technology and public health. She also laid out her goals as the CDC director, which includes restoring public trust, modernizing public health infrastructure and employing evidence-based rapid decision making.

“These priorities support the president’s and the secretary’s vision of a healthier America. To achieve them, I will lead with integrity, transparency and purpose, and work with Congress to maximize health outcomes and protect the American people,” Monarez said in her opening statement.

Trump tapped Monarez to lead the CDC in March after the administration withdrew Trump’s other pick, Dr. David Weldon, to head the agency citing the fact that he did not have the votes needed to be confirmed.

Monarez, if confirmed, will work with Kennedey to “prioritize Accountability, High Standards, and Disease Prevention to finally address the Chronic Disease Epidemic and, MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN!” Trump said in a social media post announcing her nomination.

Monarez has served as the acting CDC director since late January.

She has experience in both the public and private sector — including working in the government under former presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Trump’s first term and Joe Biden. Her work has included strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance, too.

She has also led projects to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve health outcomes.

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(NEW YORK) — New York City’s municipal races have brought disgraced politicians back into the limelight, as multiple candidates seeking a political comeback raised the question of whether voters will give them a second — or third — chance.

Among the slate is Anthony Weiner, the disgraced former congressman whose downfall came after a slew of sexting scandals that culminated in a 21-month federal prison sentence, who is vying for one of Manhattan’s City Council seats.

But Weiner’s attempt at a third political comeback appears futile.

Though no candidate has reached the 50% threshold, as of the current vote count, needed to be declared the outright winner in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, election results from the New York City Board of Elections (BOE) show Weiner facing a fourth place finish in the five-person race as of Wednesday morning.

Assemblymember Harvey Epstein maintains a steady lead, while nonprofit leader Sarah Batchu and Manhattan Community Board Chair Andrea Gordillo battle for second place. Community advocate Allie Ryan trails behind Weiner.

Because of ranked-choice voting in New York City, more comprehensive results won’t be reported until a week later on July 1, when the NYC BOE runs ranked-choice tabulations. Results are expected to be certified on July 15.

Weiner’s scandalous past comes as New York City’s mayoral race faces its share of controversy as well, with former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo continuing to deny the sexual harassment allegations that led to his resignation nearly four years ago.

Cuomo, however, conceded Tuesday night in the Democratic primary after Zohran Mamdani held a healthy lead, but his campaign added that he was “looking toward November,” indicating he was not ruling out an independent run.

And though the federal investigation into incumbent Mayor Eric Adams over fraud and bribery was dismissed earlier this year, he continues to take heat as the first sitting mayor to be indicted as he attempts to court voters running as an independent.

Yet Weiner, 60, attempted to differentiate himself from the other candidates with checkered pasts by emphasizing accountability for his wrongdoings.

“All of that happened, and I accept responsibility for it,” he told ABC’s “The View” in May. “You won’t hear me do what some other people in public life have done — Donald Trump or Andrew Cuomo or Eric Adams: ‘I’m a victim, they persecuted me for no reason.’ I was dealing with very serious problems. I was dealing with what I now understand to be addiction.”

“I am saying ‘Yes, I did these things. I got into recovery. I tried to make my life better,'” he said. “And now I can be of service. And I’m a damn good politician.”

In 2011, Weiner resigned from his congressional seat after a sexually explicit photo was posted on his social media page — which he initially said was a hack, but later admitted was his own doing — in addition to revelations of more sexting content with various women online.

He attempted a comeback two years later in an unsuccessful New York City mayoral run. Despite his initial lead, his campaign was plagued by controversy as more sexually explicit messages and images became public, with Weiner operating under the alias “Carlos Danger.”

In 2016, new sexting allegations came to light which prompted his wife Huma Abedin to announce the couple’s split.

In 2017, Weiner was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison after one of his sexting scandals was found to involve a 15-year-old girl. Following his release, he was also designated a Level 1 registered sexual offender, classified as a low-risk to reoffend.

During his appearance on “The View,” Weiner emphasized that he was still in recovery for sex addiction.

He also recognized that he would receive blowback during his campaign, but he did not think his past should hold him back. He cited a need for change among Democratic candidates as his reason for getting back into politics.

“When I woke up in November of ’24 and saw the election results — but more than who won, I looked around New York City and saw how many fewer Democrats even turned out to vote. And I started to say to myself ‘something is seriously wrong here,'” he said. “We’re hardcore anti-Trump territory and Trump did better.”

Weiner presented a more moderate platform than some of his Democratic counterparts. According to his campaign website, some of his goals include increasing police presence, protecting undocumented immigrants but deporting violent criminals, taxing the rich, and eliminating waste.

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(NEW YORK) — In the closely watched New York City Democratic mayoral primary, no candidate reached the 50% threshold needed to be declared the winner outright. But after a strong showing in the first round, state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani declared victory over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who conceded earlier, in what was shaping up to be a remarkable upset.

The New York City Board of Elections reported as of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday that Mamdani was leading among the candidates voters ranked first on their ballot, with 44% of the vote. Cuomo was second with about 36%. City comptroller Brad Lander followed with about 11%.

The early results amounted to a strong showing for Mamdani, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, who had gained momentum in polling and fundraising in the closing weeks of the campaign and capitalized on social media virality and enthusiasm among younger voters.

In an impassioned speech to supporters shortly after midnight, Mamdani declared, “Tonight, we made history,” adding, “I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City.”

To his cheering supporters, Mamdani said, “We have won because New Yorkers have stood up for a city they can afford, a city where they can do more than just struggle, one where those who toil in the night can enjoy the fruits of their labor in the day.”
Cuomo addressed his supporters earlier Tuesday.

“Tonight was not our night; tonight was Assemblyman Mamdani’s night, and he put together a great campaign and he touched young people and inspired them and moved them and got them to come out and vote,” Cuomo said at an event Tuesday night. He added, “Tonight is his night. He deserved it. He won. We’re going to take a look and make some decisions.”

Shortly after his remarks, in a surprise announcement, Cuomo’s campaign said he was conceding the primary and “looking toward November,” indicating he was not ruling out an independent run.

Earlier this spring, Cuomo’s campaign said he would consider running on a “Fight and Deliver” ballot line in the general election that he says is meant for voters disillusioned with the Democratic Party.

Cuomo’s run for mayor was to mark his political comeback nearly four years after he resigned the governorship after several women accused him of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct. Cuomo has consistently denied the allegations.

In the mayoral race, Cuomo has campaigned on a message of being the most experienced in the race and being the candidate who has already taken on President Donald Trump during his time as governor. Mamdani has focused on a progressive, economy-focused platform that included a rent freeze for rent-stabilized apartments and eliminating fares for New York City buses.

Mamdani, who would be the city’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest mayor in a century if elected, faced skepticism over the feasibility of some of his proposals and backlash over some of his comments on Israel.

Even with Cuomo’s announcement, the race is set to proceed to a ranked-choice count since no candidate of the 11 on the ballot got more than 50%.

Tuesday’s results do not yet reflect any ranked-choice tabulation. More comprehensive results won’t be reported until July 1, when the board of elections plans to run the ranked-choice tabulations. Under the city’s ranked choice voting system, if no candidate breaks 50%, the candidate with the least amount of votes is eliminated, and the vote tabulation continues in rounds. In the second round, voters whose first-choice candidate got eliminated get their second-choice vote counted. That keeps going until only two candidates remain, and the candidate in the lead at that point wins the primary.

A spokesperson for the city’s board of elections, Vincent Ignizio, told ABC News that the week-long wait for comprehensive results is due, in part, to the time it takes to retrieve voting machine data.

The Board of Elections plans to finish counting votes over the next few weeks and will certify the results on July 15.

Nearly 1 million New Yorkers voted early or on the day of the primary, per the Board.

During the 2021 Democratic mayoral primary, which was the first time New York City used ranked-choice voting, a total of 942,031 votes were cast in the mayoral race, according to data from the New York City Board of Elections.

In heavily Democratic New York, it’s likely the Democratic primary winner in the mayoral race has the advantage in the general election in November.

Potentially complicating matters however, is the fact that incumbent Democratic Mayor Eric Adams is running as an independent in the fall.

ABC News’ Jack Moore contributed to this report.

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