Former US president Barack Obama spoke with New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, praising his campaign and offering to serve as an adviser should Mamdani win Tuesday's election, the New York Times reported Saturday.
The previously undisclosed 30-minute call was described by two people who either participated in or were briefed on the conversation, according to the left-leaning American newspaper. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private exchange.
Obama reportedly told Mamdani he was invested in his success beyond Election Day. The two discussed the challenges of staffing a new administration and creating a structure capable of implementing Mamdani's agenda on affordable housing, the sources said.
According to the report, Obama spoke admiringly about how Mamdani had managed his campaign, acknowledging his earlier political missteps but contrasting them with the relative lack of blunders in his current run.
"Your campaign has been impressive to watch," Obama told Mamdani, according to the sources. Although Obama has not formally endorsed Mamdani, consistent with his general policy of avoiding involvement in municipal races since leaving office, the conversation, their second since the Democratic primary, was seen as a significant signal of support. Many other Democratic leaders have kept their distance from Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic Socialist.
Obama offered to act as a "sounding board" if Mamdani wins and the two discussed tentative plans to meet in person in Washington, though no date has been set.
Meanwhile, Mamdani released a video Saturday in Arabic showing him eating kanafeh at a Palestinian restaurant in New York City, urging residents to vote for him while standing next to a booth draped with a Palestinian flag.
