Bill Maher knows what the consequences of electing Zohran Mamdani as the next mayor of New York City. It’s going to help JD Vance or whoever is the Republican nominee get elected president in 2028. He sparred a bit with liberal Brian Tyler Cohen on this point, adding that New York City matters, especially who’s running it.
“He definitely has the power and influence to elect JD Vance — or whoever is the Republican candidate next time,” said the HBO host. “It is a walking commercial for the Republican Party nationally,” he added.”
🚨Bill Maher says Zohran Mamdani will help "ELECT JD VANCE" — or another GOP nominee — in 2028 if he becomes NYC mayor🚨
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) August 2, 2025
"Don’t tell me that who the mayor of New York is doesn’t matter."
"He definitely has the power and influence to elect JD Vance — or whoever is the Republican… pic.twitter.com/0zBTxMs5QF
Cohen tried to push back and play devil’s advocate, noting that most national Democrats are a little more to the left, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, so it’s not shocking that Mamdani is of this mold, to which Maher said that none of them, AOC or Sanders, are president and never will be.
Cohen then said the GOP is going to boogeyman whoever, but Maher said it adds more weight when it’s real.
“You don’t have to boogeyman him [Mamdani]. He does it to himself.”
And it is real that most Democratic base voters are close to what Mamdani wants to enact. Some stuff he cannot, but taxing white neighborhoods more is most definitely an initiative that would get majority support if you polled Democrats nationwide.