Jen Psaki: But I promise you, there is some light amidst the darkness we're seeing in this moment. And that was most evident today in New York City, where the city's newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani announced alongside Governor Kathy Hochul that they are making New York the first American city with free universal childcare for children as young as two years old.
It was in many ways, the first real attempt at a huge ambitious positive social change policy. Change that people have been demanding. It's the first one we've seen from elected officials, I should say, in a long while. And it felt like that may have been on the mayor's mind during this announcement.
[Video Plays.]
Psaki: Joining me now is the mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani. You have had a [] of a week, is one way to put it. You're just, again, eight days, I think this is day eight of your term, and you made this incredible announcement about childcare today. We're gonna dig into much more of that, how it happened, what it means, but I just wanna start with what we are watching unfold in Minneapolis right now, because I know you were watching this closely too.
It could happen in any city. New York City is certainly, we know, a target of this administration and their immigration policy. In a statement yesterday, you called this murder, and I know you watched the video we all did. As you thought about it, what should justice look like for that ICE officer?
Mayor Zohran Mamdani: It has to look like accountability, and I think for far too long, we've seen ICE operate as an agency with a complete sense of reckless impunity, and what we need to see across this country is an understanding that no one is above the law, and we all saw that video.
We all can draw the same conclusions from it, and yet what is so often lost in a video like that or in the stories that we read is the havoc that this wreaks on the family of that woman that was killed, on the community that that woman was a part of.
And we know that this is only one glimpse into what has been a year full of cruelty, and I know that for many New Yorkers, when they woke up this morning and they saw that video, they felt a deep sense of anxiety about whether they were safe in their own city.
And as the mayor of New York City, I wanna make it clear that I will stand up for each and every person who calls the city their home, no matter where they come from or where they were born.
Psaki: This administration, and the vice president repeated this today, is saying he has immunity. I mean, do you think that should fly? This is something that could happen, unfortunately, in your city as well.
Mayor Mamdani: I think that accountability has to be true for everyone. I think that has to be true for the ICE officer that we're speaking about and every single person in this country, and I think you can see from the many attempts at mischaracterizing what actually took place as an attempt to evade that accountability, and I wanna be clear that we should not have exceptions for the laws that we put forward for each and every person. They should be applicable to all of us.
Psaki: I wanna play something. I think, as we watched the horror of yesterday and we've seen this doubling down of this administration, it is quite telling, and I wanna play something that Vice President JD Vance said today about the victim of this shooting, and just get your reaction on the other side.
[Video Plays.]
Psaki: To be clear, there is a lot of disinformation and accurate information in there that they keep on doubling down on, but what's also telling to me is that this administration has basically been smearing the victim ever since she was killed. What do comments like that tell you about their motivations?
Mayor Mamdani: I think it tells you that they'd like to have any and all conversations other than the fact that an ICE agent killed a woman yesterday. That's the discussion that they would prefer not to have in this city, in this country, because it's one for which they don't have any answers.
And we know that she leaves behind children, she leaves behind a family, she leaves behind friends, she leaves behind an entire city. And this is something that the administration cannot answer for because, frankly, there is no answer justifying that kind of an action.
Psaki: Today, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem–you were on her mind, clearly. She was in your city. She was asked about your statement on the shooting yesterday. And she said, and you basically said that as “ICE attacks neighborhoods across the country, New York stands with immigrants.” That was a big thrust of your statement. She accused you of putting, "Illegal people who have broken our law before New York City citizens.” What is your response to that from Kristi Noem?
Mayor Mamdani: It's hard to truly make sense of that statement. All I can tell you is that here in New York City, we know that it's possible to be a New Yorker, to be an American, and also to be an immigrant. I'm one of the examples of all three of those things in one. And yet what we have seen time and again is an attempt to have cities and states give up immigrants to a federal administration's attempt to fulfill its pledge to create the single largest deportation force in American history.
And as the mayor of New York City, I'm gonna stand up for everyone who calls the city their home. And I'm going to do so while following the laws we have in this city, laws which include sanctuary city policies that prohibit ICE agents from entering into New York City schools or properties unless they can actually provide a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
Psaki: One of the reasons I was really looking forward to talking to you today, I mean, you never hold back, and I always appreciate that, is that in this moment of so much chaos and darkness in Washington, your announcement today was really a reminder that government can do good for the people, that if you have the will, if you have optimism about what is possible, that things can happen, people's lives can be made better.
And this announcement today from you and Governor Hochul, I should just note, puts New York City on track to become the first city in the country to provide free universal childcare, which is incredibly significant. Again, you're on day eight. How did you make this happen?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I think this comes from many, many conversations that I've had with the governor and that our teams have had, all about fulfilling the commitment we have made of transforming the most expensive city in the United States into one that's affordable.
But frankly, this day is a result not just of Governor Hochul and myself, but frankly, a result of New Yorkers who knocked on more than a million doors, who made more than a million phone calls, all in the hopes of winning the city that they deserved.
And today's announcement, where the governor committed $1.21 billion to taking the first steps to establishing universal childcare here in New York City, it's a commitment that will provide universal childcare for every three-year-old and start to provide universal childcare for every two-year-old in New York City.
And that means we will be taking off what has come to be a $22,500 a year expense off the backs of working families. And that's because working people believed in the city they could have as opposed to the one that they lived in.
Psaki: Childcare is one of the things that breaks people's backs in this country, as you've talked about so much. This comes kind of, the backdrop of this is, of course, that the Trump administration is threatening to cut, it is planning, I should say, to cut off $10 billion in federal childcare funding to states including New York.
As I understand it, this has been allocated funding. But how do you account for, how do you plan for the protection of these programs and the funding needed, given how this administration is politicizing the pulling back of resources?
Mayor Mamdani: I think it makes it all the more important to start initiatives with city and state funding coming together in a partnership to deliver for New Yorkers because we're seeing an attempt at the federal level to play politics with our kids' futures. And I am heartened by the confidence that Governor Hochul has shared in our chances of winning the battle in litigation, in court, against this attempt.
But we need to make clear that not only will we fight to retain the support that working class New Yorkers receive today, we will also fight to advance an agenda to make it more possible for them to live in the city that they call home.
Psaki: I watched your announcement this morning, very uplifting language. You and Governor Hochul seem to have developed a real partnership. She was out on the trail with you. I don't know if you've heard, but she's running for reelection this year. Are you prepared to endorse her?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, the governor hasn't yet asked me for my endorsement, but what I have appreciated is the relationship and the partnership that we have built. And it's been one that's been focused on affordability. It's been focused on delivering for New Yorkers. And I have to tell you, Jen, that sadly, in recent history, that hasn't always been the case in the relationship between mayors and governors.
It's almost felt as if there are two different constituencies that they represent, when in fact, we're all representing New Yorkers. And I've appreciated this governor, Governor Hochul, in showcasing the leadership necessary to deliver for those same New Yorkers.
Psaki: I expect Governor Hochul may be giving you a phone call and asking for your endorsement. We will see. Before I let you go, there's so much going on. I just wanted to ask you about what we're watching in Venezuela, given that Nicolás Maduro is sitting in a prison in your city. After the attack, you said you called the president and spoke with him directly to voice your opposition to what he did. What can you tell us about that phone call?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I called the president and I said directly to him the thoughts that I had, and that I was also about to share with others across our city, which is that this was an act in pursuit of regime change. It was something that was violating both international law, but also federal law.
And it was something that I was in opposition to, and I wanted to both say that plainly and directly. And I've appreciated the fact that when I have conversations with President Trump, they are honest, they are straightforward, and they have New Yorkers at the heart of it.
Psaki: Mayor Zohran Mamdani, thank you. A huge day. Congratulations to you and to all the people who will benefit from this tremendous announcement.
Mayor Mamdani: Thank you so much. It's a real pleasure to be back.
###