Comedian Bill Maher sparred Friday with one of his guests, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., when the lawmaker dismissed criticism of New York City\u2019s Democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani as a \u201ccontrived villain or boogeyman.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s not contrived. He\u2019s gonna be the mayor of New York,\u201d Maher argued.<\/p>\n
The late-night show host cited Mamdani\u2019s \u201cMarxist\u201d positions<\/a>, such as the \u201cabolition of private property,\u201d after he declared that the Big Apple has \u201cnever had someone this radical.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of opposition [to Mamdani] because we\u2019ve never had someone this radical,\u201d Maher warned. \u201cSome of the things he says, you know he quotes Marxists, \u2018each according to their need.\u2019 I mean, that\u2019s straight up Communism.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Rep. Crow maintained that a \u201cboogeyman\u201d like Mamdani comes around every election cycle for Republicans.<\/p>\n \u201cThey always try to create a villain is my point,\u201d he said. \u201cThey always try to create some boogeyman or bogeywoman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, these are quotes. I\u2019m not creating anything, I\u2019m quoting [Mamdani],\u201d Maher debated.<\/p>\n