Welker asks Mamdani: Are you a communist?

[AStern]

MEDIA: Are you a communist?

MAMDANI: I am not ... I call myself a democratic socialist in many ways inspired by the words of Dr. King from decades ago, who said: 'Call it democracy or call it democratic socialism, there has to be a better distribution of wealth for all of God's children'

MEDIA: Are you a communist?

MAMDANI: I am not ... I call myself a democratic socialist in many ways inspired by the words of Dr. King from decades ago, who said: 'Call it democracy or call it democratic socialism, there has to be a better distribution of wealth for all of God's children'

— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein.bsky.social) 2025-06-29T21:51:41.743Z

This is proof positive that NOTHING will change for the better for average citizens. We'll never get Universal Health Care, wages will never match inflation, etc. Nothing will change. It hasn't since 1980, why start now?

[Mysterian]

1. Welker is a tool of the oligarchs

She has chosen sides and it's not my side.

[AStern]

3. If a Democrats win in mid-terms she'll ask the same ridiculous questions

Our media is seriously broken.

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. Wage increases actually outpaced inflation slightly during the Biden administration

All those great union contracts that were settled during the red hot Bidenomics economy.

Sorry if I mellowed your harsh…

I thought Mamdani handled the question masterfully (even if he used the term democratic socialism when he likely meant social democracy - there is a distinct difference)

[AStern]

5. She'll never ask a Republican if they're FASCIST

But thank you mellowing my harsh.

[Fiendish Thingy]

11. Or better yet, "are you a Nazi?" Nt

[writerJT]

16. She asked Graham

why voters shouldn’t trust Gen. Milley’s opinion that Trump is a fascist.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Let me tell you what retired four-star General Mark Milley, someone who you have praised in the past, has had to say about Donald Trump. Of course, he's Donald Trump's former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He told Bob Woodward in a new book, quote, "No one has ever been as dangerous to this country as Donald Trump. Now I realize he's a total fascist. A fascist to the core." Why shouldn't voters trust Donald Trump's top general on this, Senator?

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1310845

[AStern]

18. She asked him what he thought... not the same thing

Here's the transcript:

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM:

He has a right to his opinion. But this is the man who oversaw 20 years of – years of training of the Afghan-Iraqi Army that folded like a cheap suit. I like General Milley, but I disagree with him. You know what I fear? I fear four more years of Biden-Harris policy. I fear holding Israel back so they can't win the war they have to win to survive. I fear four more years of holding Ukraine back, four more years of broken borders, four more years of not drilling for oil and gas, four more years of high food prices. The threat to the world is the policies of this administration. To General Milley, you have a right to your opinion, but I don't fear Donald Trump. I fear what's going on in the world today. If you want the world to stay on fire, vote for her. If you want to keep paying high prices for everything it costs to live, vote for her.

KRISTEN WELKER:

But Senator, you've known General Milley for years. You've said –

Ad
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM:

Yeah, I think he’s wrong.

KRISTEN WELKER:

– you have deep admiration and total confidence –

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM:

I think – I think he’s wrong.

KRISTEN WELKER:

– John Kelly, his former chief of staff, has said that --

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM:

No, I – I think they’re wrong.

KRISTEN WELKER:

– has said that former President Trump was telling him to go after his opponents repeatedly –

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM:

I think they're wrong.

KRISTEN WELKER:

Here he was –

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM:

I know Trump very well. I think they’re wrong.

KRISTEN WELKER:

“He was always telling me that we need to use the FBI and IRS to go after people. It was constant and obsessive.”

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM:

You know, these are Democratic talking points. I think they're wrong.

KRISTEN WELKER:

No, no. He's the former chief of staff.

Ad
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM:

I think they're wrong. I think they're totally wrong. It was Joe Biden who got us out of Afghanistan that led to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

KRISTEN WELKER:

They both –

Etc...

[writerJT]

22. But of course!

In any case, I’m glad you read the whole exchange where she continued to press him, and since he didn’t have a point, he simply accused her of repeating Democratic talking points. Pretty weak, eh?

And welcome to DU!

[Polybius]

4. In the same interview, she also asked him if he thought there should be no billionaires

He said that he didn't think there should be any.

[AStern]

6. He's correct.

There shouldn't be billionaires no matter what they've done.

[Polybius]

7. What can be done?

Let them keep $999,999,999, and then distribute the rest? Would it hold up in court?

[AStern]

9. You tell us

Answer man.

[Polybius]

14. I'm not the one proposing it

But I'm all for taxing the hell out of them.

[Kingofalldems]

27. Boom!

[EarlG]

10. Did he suggest that he was going to stop people from becoming

billionaires or that he had a plan to actually carry that out?

Or was he just saying that as a matter of principle, nobody needs a billion dollars?

[Polybius]

15. He didn't really specify

But after rewatching, I can see where he may have been referring to a matter of principle.

[fujiyamasan]

17. I've always wondered this as well when I hear there shouldn't be billionaires

In an ideal world (I’m thinking John Lennon here), there would be no billionaires.

But in the real world, no one really gives a shit. Most of us are so far disconnected from the top 0.1 percent that it’s not that meaningful, whether that percentile of people has $999,999 or the big $1B. Most are lucky to have a month or two worth of savings in case of emergencies. Maybe a little money in a 401k. It’s going to be hard to just convince them their own CEO (maybe a billionaire) is a crook and evil, while they’re employed there. Or tell the small business owner that has (delusional) expectations of hitting it big?

Besides then there’s the practical aspect. Is the government going to confiscate assets over $1B? Stock options? Tax all unrealized gains over $1B?

What’s that John Steinbeck quote again? Well it turns it wasn’t quite a direct quote,

"John Steinbeck once said that socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires." - Ronald Wright

[AZProgressive]

19. The billionaires even though they don't make up a large percentage

of the population they have a lot of political power and they have some extreme ideas like Musk & Thiel. Also Trump has more billionaires in his cabinet than any other President.

I wouldn't care if they just enjoyed their wealth and let us have a Democracy but the Trump's BBB is steep cuts to programs for the middle class and poor while giving large tax breaks to the wealthy. Based on that they are too big to exist but there really isn't a practical solution except make sure they pay their fair share of taxes.

Mamdani's platform actually worked in the real world when many posts were saying Cuomo (billionaires also funded his campaign) was going to win.

[fujiyamasan]

24. The first problem is getting people to actually care

That their democracy has been purchased and those at the top percentile have such outsized power, and in case that’s too abstract, make the focus on people’s pocketbooks, their retirements, and the market manipulation the top 0.1% to maintain their wealth.

Once we address that, we can start to determine what the fair share is.

[Nixie]

21. That was about as politically damaging as Defund the Police.

Giving billionaires all this power is how we got here. They all didn’t need to be in Washington doing what they’re doing. So stopping billionaires by not voting for them was the better answer, but those mistakes are never acknowledged.

Not voting for billionaires was an immediately doable alternative. Letting them take over and then musing about how you are morally superior to them helps no one.

[RubyRose]

28. I don't even understand what that means in reality.

If someone creates a company and owns a controlling percentage of shares and the value of the company grows to billions, is his solution to take their company away from them so they only own less than a billion in value? How’s that done?

[EarlG]

8. Hmm

Desire the fact that Trump reportedly praised Hitler, kept a copy of Hitler’s speeches next to his bed, and palled around with Nazis, I don’t recall Kristin Walker ever directly asking him, “Are you a Nazi?”

Funny how that works.

[yorkster]

12. Welker is aggressively foolish.

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

13. Well, she couldn't say "pinko" commie in that lame-ass outfit.

[Emile]

20. My god, how stupid is she?

[Kid Berwyn]

23. Part of the necessary skill set.

Otherwise, no job in Corporate McPravda.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

26. Welcome to DU.