Stephen A. Smith on Monday warned Democrats not to back candidates whose politics resemble those of New York City mayoral primary winner Zohran Mamdani.
“Let me be very, very clear. If the Democratic Party becomes the likes of Zohran Mamdani — who, by the way, I like, I’m not trying to throw any shade on him or anything like that — if the Democratic Party becomes him, you have no chance,” Smith said during a Monday episode of the “Stephen A. Smith Show.”
“You have no chance. On a national basis of terms of the presidency in Senate seats, seats in the House, you have no chance,” he added.
Mamdani won the Democratic primary over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) and is set to face off against NYC Mayor Eric Adams in November.
Moderates have railed against Mamdani due to his campaign’s progressive policies including free buses, free childcare and a citywide rent freeze.
He’s a Democratic Socialist who has earned support from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) but Smith said his initiatives will not translate to a nationwide audience.
“You might have a Democratic Socialist sprinkled here and there, but that ain’t what America is. America’s about capitalism! America’s about dollars and cents,” Smith said.
“America’s about an economy, a flourishing economy, okay? And you know what it’s not about? Free stuff.”
Democrats are looking to break the GOP majority in Congress next year through midterm elections.
The Democratic National Committee Chair, Ken Martin, has sparred with former vice chair David Hogg, who has pledged to primary party incumbents who haven’t made waves with the Trump administration.
The internal divide over leadership and the party’s future has drawn a stark line in the sand between moderates aiming to stick to Democrats’ traditional values and a new wave of young progressives.