Longtime Republican operative Karl Rove said on Tuesday that crime is a “big problem” for the Democratic Party and warned that some within the party, including New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, don’t understand how their posture on the issue hurts the party’s “label.”
“This is a big problem for the Democrats. The Democrats don’t seem to understand — certain Democrats, like the socialist running for mayor of New York — do not seem to understand the problems that this represents for their party, and their party’s label. They only need to look to recent history to see how being soft on crime, and adopting the methods of sanctuary cities blow up in their faces,” Rove said during his appearance on Fox News’s “America Reports.”
Rove, who is a Fox News contributor, then listed off recent examples of progressive district attorneys losing in recent elections in cities such as Portland and Los Angeles.
Mamdani, in a recent speech, referenced Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (D) and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) as examples of how to push back against the Trump administration’s crackdown on so-called sanctuary jurisdictions.
“So Mamdani is, you know, go ahead and keep doing it. But what it’s going to cause is a problem for the Democratic Party not simply in New York City, but nationwide,” Rove said. “The bluest of the blue, the big urban centers create problems for themselves when they have Democratic leaders like Mamdani who are soft on crime and pro-sanctuary city.”
Since sending federal law enforcement into Washington, D.C., this month, more than 1,000 arrests have been made in the nation’s capital and 111 firearms have been seized, according to the White House. Democrats in Congress and mayors have pushed back on the federalization of law enforcement in Washington, arguing it is an example of political theater.
As part of the crackdown in Washington, law enforcement has also arrested a Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gang member, the White House said on Monday.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Comments