Obama and Colbert Praise NYC Mayor Mamdani in Chicago Interview

Former President Barack Obama and outgoing Late Show host Stephen Colbert praised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a prerecorded interview that aired Tuesday from the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

Colbert discussed the direction of the Democratic Party with Obama, focusing on the rift between its liberal and progressive wings. "So you have great leaders. You have people like Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, very centrist. But then you have further left, like AOC and Zohran Mamdani," Colbert said. The remark drew cheers from the audience after he mentioned the self-described democratic socialists.

"What direction do you think would be best for this party, to actually achieve change?" Colbert asked.

Obama dismissed worries about a real divide between the party's wings. "I'm not so worried about this so-called rift between the left and liberals, as you described it," Obama told Colbert. "Because I think that within the Democratic Party and I would argue a bunch of independents and even some Republicans as well, there's an overarching belief in equality, fairness, if you work then you should be able to make a living wage and support a family and retire with dignity. There are a bunch of things that we agree on. And it's really more of a question of, what are the specific things that we have to do."

"You look at somebody like Mamdani, who I think is an extraordinary talent," he added. "He wants people to be able to afford housing in New York. Well, you know, I would assume liberals in New York want the same thing. And so I don't worry as much about some of these issues within the Democratic Party. I'm more interested in for Democrats is — do you know to just talk to regular people like we're not in a college seminar, right? You know, can you talk plain English to folks about-"

"I think that's one of the powers that Mamdani has," Colbert interjected.

"That's correct," Obama said.

"Not only does he talk like a normal person, but he lives a normal life, but also, he names what is obviously wrong," Colbert continued.

"Yes!" Obama exclaimed. "And not have a bunch of gobbledygook around it. Just talk like normal people talk."