New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s recent reactions to law enforcement, which some have interpreted as pushing back against the New York Police Department, likely won’t hurt him as much as previous mayors, a local crime expert told Fox News Digital, and could end up working to his overall political advantage. 

«It may not hurt Mamdani in the way that it might hurt another mayor,» Manhattan Institute Fellow Rafael Mangual. 

«I do think that Zohran Mamdani is okay with being an opponent and a critic of the NYPD. I think he comes from a sort of ideological perspective that does not believe that the NYPD actually reduces crime. So, if the NYPD pulls back and crime goes up, I think he will see that as an opportunity to further criticize the NYPD and point to reasons why it should be defunded in favor of this Department of Community Safety and some of these other proposals that he would much rather invest in.»

Two significant events in the city indicate that the mayor will not defend the police department, according to Mangual, and could result in cops pulling back due to lack of support. They include an incident last month in Washington Square Park, dubbed «Snowballgate,» where a mob of roughly 100 people pelted NYPD officers with snowballs, leaving two officers injured. 

Rather than condemning the assault, Mamdani appeared to downplay the violence, referring to the perpetrators as «kids» taking part in a snowball fight. 

«Mamdani did not come out in support of the NYPD in that incident. Instead, he seemed to kind of brush it off and even refused to call for the prosecution of the perpetrators,» Mangual said, adding that the actions of the mob clearly qualified as an assault against police officers. 

«Unfortunately, I think the mayor’s response was found wanting. He seemed unwilling to condemn it as an assault. He seemed unwilling to even say that it was something that shouldn’t be done in the future, and I think that is going to create a sense in the NYPD that this administration does not have their back.»

Perhaps more concerning, according to Mangual, was Mamdani’s reaction to a recent officer-involved shooting in Queens where, despite bodycam footage showing an officer being immediately attacked with a deadly weapon after entering a home at the owner’s invitation, Mamdani called on the district attorney to not prosecute the knife wielding suspect who was reportedly having a mental health episode. 

CITY-RUN BOARD CANCELS LEASE OF ISRAEL DRONE SUPPLIER, SPARKING BACKLASH TOWARD MAMDANI: ‘LUDICROUS’

Additionally, Mamdani visited the attacker and his family after the incident.

«For Mayor Mamdani to come out and not just meet with the family as if this individual is some sort of crime victim, but to also make an open call to the Queens DA not to prosecute the individual for the obvious and clear assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, I think is just completely irresponsible,» Mangual said. 

«But it also will reinforce that sense in the NYPD that I think is already existing: that this administration is an opponent, not a partner. And if that dynamic continues and it reaches further down into the rank and file, I do think that the city is going to see a more reluctant police force at a time in which it needs it to be proactive.»

As a candidate, Mamdani attempted to distance himself from previous support of police defunding but faced backlash last month when he announced that part of his plan to balance the budget involves cutting the NYPD’s budget and canceling 5K new officer hires.

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In front of a painting of Alexander Hamilton, Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks to reporters about the city’s finances during a news conference in New York, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

«I think what we’ve seen in the early days of this administration is that Mamdani is not yet willing to position himself as an open partner of the NYPD,» Mangual said. «He is still trying to make a decision about whether he is going to lean into his more natural identity of an opponent of the NYPD.»

The NYPD is «between a rock and a hard place» under Mamdani, Mangual said, adding that officers will be «less likely to put their lives on the line for a city that they do not feel has their back.»

«He’d be perfectly happy with a world in which he can say, ‘Look, the NYPD is a failure, it’s not keeping crime down, it’s time to try other approaches,’» Mangual said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment. 

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Los parisinos están inquietos ante una guerra que pisa las fronteras europeas. Cuando el presidente Emmanuel Macron se disponía a hablar este martes, a la hora de la cena, para explicar la posición francesa frente al conflicto de Estados Unidos con Irán, París era un desierto.

Los restaurantes y bares estaban vacíos. En las paradas de taxis esperaban más de veinte vehículos a pasajeros que no llegaban. En las calles se escuchaban sirenas, había mucha presencia policial y las patrullas militares del Vigipirate estaban desplegadas.

En el Café Flore, el corazón de la intelectualidad y la política francesa, no había ni siquiera turistas curiosos. La habitualmente superpoblada brasserie Lipp era un desierto.

En el café Armani, en el St Germain des Prés, solo había tres mesas a la hora de cenar.

“La gente tiene miedo a salir. Estas noticias de la guerra los intimidan, los asustan. Temen atentados. También sienten que hay incertidumbre, que deben ahorrar porque el futuro es difícil de adivinar”, contó David, uno de sus históricos mozos.

Los que estaban, comían rápido y se iban. Todos hablaban de lo mismo: la guerra, el alza de los precios del gas y del petróleo y el impacto en su vida cotidiana.

En las pocas estaciones de servicio dentro de París había colas de automóviles cargando combustible. Temían su escasez.

Al menos hay 400.000 franceses en el golfo Pérsico y el gobierno ha decidido comenzar la repatriación de los que quieran regresar. Primero serán los enfermos, los ancianos y las familias. Después, los demás.

«Nos preparamos para fletar vuelos para que las personas más vulnerables, aquellas que merecen asistencia, puedan beneficiarse de ellos si es necesario», declaró el canciller Jean-Noël Barrot al canal de noticias BFMTV, sin especificar cuántas personas podrían verse afectadas por estos vuelos.

Según el ministro de Asuntos Exteriores francés, unos 400.000 ciudadanos franceses se encuentran actualmente en la decena de países afectados por el conflicto en curso.

«En su mayoría, se trata de ciudadanos franceses residentes en la región, incluyendo personas con doble nacionalidad. Otros son ciudadanos franceses de paso», de los cuales aproximadamente 25.000 ya se han puesto en contacto con el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, especificó. Todos los ciudadanos franceses deben registrarse «para que puedan ser localizados».

Las medidas implementadas varían según los países involucrados.

«Por ejemplo, hemos desplegado equipos consulares en las fronteras entre Israel, Egipto y Jordania, lo que ha facilitado el paso de ciudadanos franceses que desean salir por tierra y luego tomar un vuelo desde Egipto o Jordania«, declaró el ministro.

Los ciudadanos franceses que deseen salir de los Emiratos Árabes Unidos podrán hacerlo en las fronteras con Omán y Arabia Saudita, «dos países cuyo espacio aéreo permanece abierto hasta el momento«, añadió.

En cuanto a los vuelos, también se están considerando varias opciones.

Por un lado, los ciudadanos franceses podrán tomar vuelos comerciales en los que París ha reservado «bloques de asientos». También se podrían fletar «vuelos civiles» y «podríamos solicitar aviones de la República Francesa», explicó Jean-Noël Barrot.

«En cuanto a las personas vulnerables, las misiones diplomáticas, embajadas y consulados, que están en contacto con nuestros ciudadanos allí, en colaboración con el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, están elaborando estas listas para que puedan regresar a Francia con prioridad», declaró.

Ante la incertidumbre económica causada por la guerra en Oriente Medio, el ministro de Economía y Finanzas, Roland Lescure, también anunció el martes que una unidad de crisis se reunirá «una vez al día», bajo su dirección, en el Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas. Su objetivo será «seguir la evolución de los mercados financieros, los indicadores económicos y, por supuesto, los mercados energéticos», especificó.

Sin embargo, «no existe riesgo de escasez de suministro a corto plazo» en Francia, «ni de gas ni de gasolina», aseguró el ministro.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Tuesday that the United Kingdom is sending a warship and two Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters to Cyprus after an Iranian drone hit the British Royal Air Force (RAF) base of Akrotiri Monday morning on the east Mediterranean island.

In a social media post, Starmer said he spoke with the president of Cyprus, and the U.K. is deploying helicopters with counter-drone capabilities and the air-defense destroyer HMS Dragon to the region.

«The UK is fully committed to the security of Cyprus and British military personnel based there,» he wrote in the post. «We’re continuing our defensive operations… We will always act in the interest of the UK and our allies.»

The strike, which came days after Starmer reaffirmed his country was not involved in the conflict, hit a runway at the air base just after midnight Monday morning.

While there were no injuries, minor damage was reported.

British Defense Secretary John Healey said the country is «moving quickly» to further reinforce its defensive presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.

«HMS Dragon brings world-class air defence capability, and our Wildcat helicopters are armed with Martlet missiles to counter the growing drone threat,» Healey wrote in a statement. «I am deeply proud of the professionalism and bravery of our Armed Forces personnel who have, in recent days, successfully taken action across the region to protect our allies and defend British interests.»

The HMS Dragon, a type 45 destroyer, will strengthen the U.K.’s ability to detect, track and destroy aerial threats — including drones.

The ship is fitted with the world-leading Sea Viper missile system, which can launch eight missiles in under ten seconds and guide up to 16 missiles simultaneously. 

The deployment comes as the British armed forces successfully shot down multiple drones across the region over the last 24 hours.

RAF F-35B jets shot down drones over Jordan — the first time an RAF F-35 has destroyed a target on operations — supported by Typhoon jets and a Voyager tanker aircraft. 

A British counter-drone unit neutralized drones in Iraqi airspace heading towards Coalition forces, while an RAF Typhoon operating with the joint UK-Qatar 12 Squadron shot down an Iranian one-way attack drone directed at Qatar using an air-to-air missile on Monday.

Police officers stand guard outside RAF Akrotiri base on Jan. 14, 2024, near Limassol, Cyprus. An Iranian-made drone hit the base on Monday, March 2, 2026, causing minimal damage and no injuries amid heightened tensions. (Iakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP via Getty Images)

Prior to the strike in Cyprus, Starmer released a video explaining that Iran launched sustained attacks across the region, on countries that did not attack them. 

«They’ve hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying. This is clearly a dangerous situation,» Starmer said. «We have at least 200,000 British citizens in the region. Residents, families on holiday and those in transit. I ask all our people in the region to please register your presence. And follow foreign office travel advice. I know this is a deeply worrying time, and we will continue to do all we can to support you.»

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He added that the British Armed Forces are also «at risk,» noting Iran hit a military base Saturday in Bahrain, «narrowly missing British personnel.» 

«The death of the supreme leader will not stop Iran from launching these strikes,» Starmer said. «Their approach is becoming even more reckless and more dangerous to civilians. Our decision that the UK would not be involved with the strikes on Iran was deliberate. Not least because we believe that the best way forward for the region and for the world is a negotiated settlement — one in which Iran agrees to give up any aspirations to develop a nuclear weapon — but Iran is striking British interests nonetheless, and putting British people at huge risk, along with our allies across the region. That is the situation we face today.»

He said partners in the Gulf asked them to «do more» to defend them, prompting a decision to allow the U.S. to use British air bases for targeted strikes against Iranian missile launchers and storage depots.

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer amped up the military presence in Cyprus following an Iranian drone strike early Monday. (Kin Cheung / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

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«We have British jets in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations, which have already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes. But the only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source — in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles,» Starmer said. «The basis of our decision is the collective self-defense of long-standing friends and allies, and protecting British lives… We are not joining these strikes, but we will continue with our defensive actions in the region.»

«I want to be very clear: We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learned those lessons,» he continued. «We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran, and we will not join offensive action now. But Iran is pursuing a scorched earth strategy. So we are supporting the collective self-defense of our allies and our people in the region because that is our duty to the British people. It is the best way to eliminate the urgent threat and prevent the situation spiraling further. This is the British government protecting British interests and British lives.»

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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