The Mamdani momentum is taking the country by storm. After his big New York City primary win shocked the Democratic establishment, socialists like Zohran Mamdani are not just gaining popularity, but are actually being recognized as serious candidates in elections across the nation.
One of those key elections is the Minneapolis mayoral race, where Democratic Socialist State Senator Omar Fateh is now just 5 points behind incumbent Democratic mayor Jacob Frey, who is seeking reelection for a third term.
Fateh joins Mehdi to discuss the mayoral race, the racist and Islamophobic attacks he’s received, and how he plans to stand up to Donald Trump.
He explains what MAGA and establishment Democrats fear the most when it comes to candidates like him. “When MAGA extremists attack us, and also, at times, the establishment Democrats, it’s because they’re scared,” he tells Mehdi. “They’re scared of the multiracial working-class coalition that has been rising up… of having a city where ordinary people have real power.”
Fateh also discusses being targeted online by far-right figures like Libs of TikTok and the late Charlie Kirk, attacks which he believes have only been emboldened by Donald Trump and explains how he is ready to defend Minneapolis as Donald Trump targets Democrat-run cities across the country.
“We have a federal government telling us that we either have to sacrifice our values or risk losing funding,” he says.
Paid subscribers can watch the full interview above to also hear Fateh discuss losing the Democratic-Farmer-Labor endorsement, his response to those who call him anti-Israel, and his approach to policing after the murder of George Floyd.
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