Tipsheet

Zohran Mamdani Just Said This About Rape in His City and Everyone's Talking About it

Jeff Charles
Jeff Charles  |  July 14, 2026 1:00 PM

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani came under fire when he appeared to downplay the severity of rape.

Mamdani participated in an interview with PIX11 News reporter Dan Mannarino and was asked about New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin’s comments about rising rates of rape and felony assault in the city.

The mayor argued that the NYPD has reported lower numbers of homicides and shootings and indicated the rape statistics could be inflated after the state expanded the legal definition of rape.

"And what I think is important to know is a lot of the increase in rape also comes from an expanded definition of what counts as rape, as well as survivors coming forward for acts that took place years prior," the mayor said. "And we are thankful for them coming forward, the courage and the bravery it takes, but just to provide New Yorkers with that context."

Social media users condemned Mamdani’s remarks, suggesting he diminished the seriousness of sexual assault and is trying to shirk accountability for the number of people victimized by rapists. His defenders said he was merely providing context behind the numbers.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2024 signed the “Rape is Rape Act” that allowed for more behaviors to count as rape. Before the law was passed, rape was mostly defined as forced vaginal sex. But now, it covers other forms of nonconsensual sexual contact, which contributed to the higher numbers.

New York City’s reported rape numbers climbed by about six to seven percent in early 2026 compared to the previous year. However, the city’s overall crime rate has fallen by more than 10 percent.

Still, Mamdani leaning on these numbers to defend the NYPD was about as smart as wearing shorts in Antarctica. While it is possible that the 2024 law could add to the number of crimes classified as rape, the buck still stops with the mayor, whose job it is to protect New York City residents.

Mamdani bringing up how rape is defined instead of explaining how he plans to get those numbers lower shows how seriously he takes the issue — and its not a good sign for those who could become victims.