Mamdani Defends Tenant Chief Amid Firestorm

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00:00Mumdani defends tenant chief amid firestorm.

00:04Mayor Zoran Mumdani refused to back down Tuesday, as controversy over a top appointment grew

00:09and the Trump administration signaled scrutiny of New York City.

00:13According to the New York Post, C. Weaver, a longtime housing activist recently installed

00:18as executive director, faces scrutiny after past posts labeling homeownership a weapon

00:23of white supremacy and urging seize private property.

00:26We made the decision to have C. Weaver serve as our executive director for the mayor's

00:32office to protect tenants, to build on the work that she has done to protect tenants across

00:36the city, and we were already seeing the results of that work, Mumdani told reporters.

00:42The mayor's remarks came as criticism escalated beyond City Hall.

00:46Harmeet Dillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice,

00:51said the federal government is prepared to intervene if necessary.

00:54They should be on notice, they're on high scrutiny, Dillon said of city government.

00:59The comments were widely interpreted as a warning shot from Washington, raising the stakes for

01:04Mumdani as he rolls out an aggressive housing agenda centered on tenant protections.

01:09In addition to coordinating enforcement actions against landlords, Weaver's office represents

01:14tenants, enforcements against landlords, while critics say her past statements undermine confidence

01:20and supporters see frustration with systemic inequities. Mumdani has so far declined to directly address the

01:27specific language used in Weaver's old posts, instead emphasizing her track record and early

01:32accomplishments in office. With the Trump administration publicly signaling its interest,

01:37the controversy now extends beyond local politics. Whether federal scrutiny materializes into action

01:43remains to be seen, but the clash has sharpened tensions between City Hall and Washington and tests his

01:49leadership and willingness to defend ideological allies.