Mamdani says he does not share Weaver's view of homeownership but keeps her for her work
Zohran MamdaniMayor of New York City, in an interview with PIX11's Henry Rosoff
Asked by PIX11 about Weaver's post linking homeownership to white supremacy, Mamdani said it was not an opinion he shared, and that he appointed her because of her work for tenants rather than her comments.
Responding to
Weaver later described private property, especially homeownership, as a weapon of white supremacy presented as wealth-building policy.
“Obviously, that's not an opinion that I share”
Original video
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Cea Weaver’s “impoverish the white middle class” and homeownership remarks
A deleted November 2018 post attributed to New York City tenant official Cea Weaver said, “Impoverish the white middle class. Homeownership is racist / failed public policy.” The wording resurfaced after Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Weaver to lead the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants. Critics called the language racist, extreme, or disqualifying; defenders emphasized Weaver’s tenant-advocacy record and argued that the backlash served real-estate interests. Weaver expressed regret for some old wording without specifically retracting this sentence.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
A 42-second Fox News clip, dated January 9, 2026, of PIX11 reporter Henry Rosoff's question to Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Mamdani's answer. It is an excerpt; we could not locate the full PIX11 interview. Wording was checked against the audio.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Mayor Zohran Mamdani answers a PIX11 question about Cea Weaver's post on homeownership, in video published by Fox News, Jan. 9, 2026.
DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: PIX11, via Fox News. Excerpt used for news reporting and commentary
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: Full 42-second clip)
Reporting
About this source
Fox News Digital report quoting Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Thursday, January 8, 2026 answer to PIX11 reporter Henry Rosoff, who asked about Weaver's 2019 post calling homeownership a weapon of white supremacy. The report embeds a Fox News clip of the question and answer; we could not locate the full PIX11 interview.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Rosoff told Mamdani that Weaver had compared homeownership to a tool of white supremacy and asked, "what do you think of the comment itself drawing a line between landlords and white supremacists?" This answer came a day after Mamdani defended her record to reporters without addressing the wording.
After the quotation
Mamdani added that he made the decision "not because of her comments, but because of her work," and described her as someone who had won significant victories for tenants across the state.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Weaver's posts on homeownership and the white middle class. Mamdani distances himself from her view that homeownership is a weapon of white supremacy while defending her appointment and record, two materially different positions in one answer, so we labeled it Mixed or conditional. Condemned loses because he does not criticize the remark beyond saying he does not share it, and Defended or excused loses because his defense is of her work rather than the wording. Evidence level: a Fox News clip of the question and answer, checked by ear, and a Fox News Digital report quoting it; we could not locate the full PIX11 interview.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Cea Weaver
More from this case
Read the full caseLandrith cites Weaver's remarks in "socialist takeover" op-ed
“sacred right to seize private property... impoverish the white middle class”Read statement
Wheat and Drumm cite Weaver's remarks in property-rights op-ed
“The DSA, exemplified by Weaver, has not been shy in its disdain for private property and "ESPECIALLY homeownership," which she claimed "is a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as 'wealth building' public policy."”Read statement
Michelle Tandler criticizes Cea Weaver's housing rhetoric in rent regulation debate
“what happens when the state tries to disarm that weapon? We are about to find out.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Mamdani says he does not share Weaver's view of homeownership but keeps her for her work
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/4827-asked-by-pix11-about-weaver-s-post-linking
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Mamdani says he does not share Weaver's view of homeownership but keeps her for her work". First published: 2026-10-06. Last updated: 2026-10-06. https://disputeindex.com/events/4827-asked-by-pix11-about-weaver-s-post-linking