Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Democratic Party leaders made a "big mistake" by not endorsing New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani during the primaries.
Jean-Pierre celebrated Mamdani's election win Wednesday with radio host Dean Obeidallah, praising him for inspiring young people to vote in an off-year election despite going against "two big Goliaths" in the primary.
Though she was excited about Mamdani's victory, she added his win was more about connecting with voters than party backing or leadership support.
She criticized Democratic leaders for sending "the wrong message" by either hesitating or refusing to support Mamdani during the campaign.
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"I mean, he was the nominee, the Democratic nominee for the mayor's race, and they're basically saying, 'No, voters are wrong. We don't want him,'" Jean-Pierre said. "And that is a problem. You're sending the wrong message to young people, in particular, who we need to engage in this moment.
"And I thought it was a mistake. I think it was a big mistake that leadership didn't get behind him. I thought it was a big mistake that they turned their backs on him because he did it the right way. And there's something to be learned by the way he campaigned."
Jean-Pierre added that Democrats need to learn how to "punch hard" as an opposition party and urged them not to ignore any demographic because of polling.
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"This is a big tent party, and you can't throw people under the bus," Jean-Pierre said. "You know, you can't throw queer people, LGBTQ people under the bus. You can't throw the Muslim community under the bus. You can't throw immigrants and migrants under the bus. ... And that's what I was seeing in this year. There are people who are afraid and scared. We're supposed to be there for everybody. And so I hope this outcome looking across the board, the diversity of this party and the people sending a very loud message."
Though she did not name specific leaders, several key Democratic figures hesitated to support Mamdani even after he became the party's nominee.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul did not formally endorse Mamdani until September, almost three months after Mamdani defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the primary race.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., did not endorse Mamdani until Oct. 24, less than two weeks before the election. Despite his endorsement, he has hesitated to refer to Mamdani as the "future" of the party.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., never endorsed Mamdani.
However, Mamdani found support in progressive figures, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former President Barack Obama.