ROOKE: Mamdani Pulled Debate-Night Move Straight Out Of Trump’s Playbook
Socialist Democratic candidate for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has invited seven guests to Wednesday’s debate against his opponents, former Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican activist Curtis Sliwa.
Each of Mamdani’s guests was seemingly chosen to symbolize the failures of Cuomo’s record as governor of New York, including arguably the most notable guest, Charlotte Bennett, a former aide to Cuomo and the first woman to publicly accuse him of sexual harassment in 2021.
During a direct questioning segment, Mamdani turned the spotlight on Bennett’s appearance in the audience to press Cuomo over sexual harassment allegations from Bennett and other women. Cuomo denied the claims but avoided directly engaging Bennett, adding to the embarrassment.
Mamdani’s appearance at Bennett directly echoes a strategy employed by President Donald Trump before the second debate against Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump held a press conference with women who have accused former President Bill Clinton of sexual assault or harassment: Juanita Broaddrick (who accused Bill Clinton of rape in 1978), Kathleen Willey (who claimed Bill Clinton groped her in 1993), Paula Jones (who sued Bill Clinton for sexual harassment in 1994), and Kathy Shelton (a rape victim whose assailant Hillary defended). Clinton as lawyer in 1975). (Subscribe to Mary Rooke’s weekly newsletter here!)
He also invited these women to participate in the debate and referenced their accusations to pressure Hillary Clinton over her alleged hypocrisy on women’s issues. This was very effective for Trump, who was trying to distract from the infamous audio leak in which he spoke inappropriately about women. It reminded the American people that while no saint, the Clintons have their share of sexualized problems.
Although Mamdani is not facing sexual allegations, his decision was likely a deflection from the lack of political depth or qualified experience, which Cuomo highlighted during the debate.
BREAKING: Andrew Cuomo calls out Zohran Mamdani:
“You never had a job. You never accomplished anything. You never proposed a bill in the New York Senate to fix anything. You had the worst attendance. You never even showed up. Shame on you!” pic.twitter.com/Ynf6LT0yMg
– Leading Report (@LeadingReport) October 23, 2025
Similar to Trump and Clinton, Mamdani’s game will likely be just as effective, even though it probably wasn’t necessary. Mamdani enjoys a considerable lead in the polls. Recent poll and survey results show Mamdani maintaining a steady double-digit lead in the three-way race, with support hovering around 43 to 52 percent.
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