Aides to socialist New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani are criticizing ABC’s The View after the Disney-owned program reportedly declined an offer to feature several of Mamdani’s preferred socialist candidates on the show. They were also angered by comments from the show’s hosts, who described one of those candidates as antisemitic.
Mamdani has been working to raise the national profile of three socialist candidates running for Congress in New York: Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, and Darializa Avila Chevalier. All three defeated establishment-backed Democrats in their primaries, giving Mamdani a slate of allies he appears eager to promote beyond New York’s local political scene.
According to Fox News, however, The View was not interested in bringing the candidates on air. The decision reportedly frustrated Mamdani’s team, especially after co-hosts Alyssa Farah Griffin and Sara Haines discussed past comments attributed to Chevalier during the show’s June 24 episode.
“I’m gonna full-blown call her an antisemite. She would proudly call herself that, trust me,” Haines said during the segment.
Chevalier has faced scrutiny after old social media posts resurfaced. In those posts, she allegedly called for abolishing police forces, praised Marxism, referred to members of the Soviet Union as heroes, and argued that schools and libraries were failing students by not teaching or promoting Marxist ideas. Another post attributed to her said she used the American flag to wipe dirt off her hands.
Chevalier previously used an X account under the handle Darializabonet, which she deleted in June 2022.
ABC has defended The View’s booking decisions by saying the program does not often feature candidates and more commonly interviews people who already hold public office. Critics of the show, however, have long argued that it gives friendly treatment to Democrats while being far less welcoming to Republicans.
The View has also reportedly become more cautious about political bookings after facing criticism over equal representation concerns. The show recently hosted Vice President J.D. Vance, a move seen by some as an attempt to answer claims that Republican voices are rarely given space on the program. Vance’s appearance drew more than 3.3 million viewers and became the most-watched episode in the show’s history.
Disney and ABC have also faced pressure over broader concerns that The View has promoted left-leaning political viewpoints without giving opposing perspectives equal treatment. The show has been forced to issue apologies in the past after making claims on air that later drew backlash or correction.
