Dem rep slams Zohran Mamdani as a 'job-killing socialist' who doesn't belong in the Democratic Party

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., slammed New York City democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani Thursday, saying he does not belong in the Democratic Party.

Since he won the Democratic primary, Mamdani has faced blistering criticism from both Republicans and Democrats for having refused to disavow the phrase "globalize the intifada" in the past, which many argue is a call for violence, and his far-left policy proposals. 

CNBC host Joe Kernen spoke with Gottheimer, saying that he is baffled by how Democrats are "twisting themselves into pretzels" to defend the nominee.

Gottheimer argued that while some of his fellow Democrats may be more ambiguous, he is straightforward about denouncing Mamdani.

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Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) blasted Mamdani, arguing he is not a true Democrat. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

"You will hear no ambiguity out of my mouth," Gottheimer said. "We do not need a job-killing socialist who wants to raise taxes and supports antisemitic rhetoric. Right? In a city with the highest taxes in the country and the largest Jewish population."

Kernen argued that when considering the current state of the Democrats, one should be able to say, "We don’t need to go further left."

"We need common sense," Gottheimer said. "Democrats, we’re willing to solve problems, make life more affordable for people, take on higher taxes, and actually make sure that places run. And whether it’s rent or mortgages we make, we do everything we can to make life more affordable for people."

He then laid out loud and clear, "Democratic socialists are not Democrats. They’re not in the Democratic Party."

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Democrat mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani became a national figure overnight after he won the Democratic Primary in NYC. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

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"Bernie Sanders is an independent. He’s not even a Democrat. Right? So I don’t know why we would follow that approach," he said. We want common sense, reasonableness, and that’s what we need in our country… And obviously we don’t need socialism or tax increases or people who condone antisemitic rhetoric, which I find loathsome."

Mamdani said this week he would start discouraging the "intifada" expression, which he had repeatedly declined to condemn in previous interviews.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment, but did not immediately hear back.