Mayor Zohran Mamdani refused to distance himself from a controversial far-left US House candidate — despite a slew of inflammatory social media posts emerging after his endorsement.
“I’m excited at the focus on Darializa’s [Avila Chevalier] campaign in that it brings to light the possibility of electing a champion for working people,” Mamdani told reporters at an unrelated event in Queens Tuesday. “I think that what we are seeing is a real groundswell of excitement around that same candidacy… I’m excited to help be a part of that.”
Avila Chevalier was endorsed by Hizzoner late Thursday night and by the next morning, dozens of controversial social media posts emerged, attacking her own party — calling President Biden a “rapist” and mocking Hillary Clinton.
She even took aim at fellow progressive Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and DSA comrade Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
In others, she slammed police as she echoed cries from the Defund movement.
In one post, she attacked the United States as a “f–king disgrace.”
But Mamdani gave the DSA member cover Tuesday morning as she takes on longtime Rep. Adriano Espaillat.
“She said herself that a lot of these don’t reflect her views today, and I’m incredibly excited to be supporting her today and her vision,” he said when pressed on the content of her posts.