Mamdani claims he never saw vile, anti-American posts from DSA House candidate he endorsed

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday claimed he never saw the mountain of vile social media posts from fellow DSA member Darializa Avila Chevalier — before he endorsed her insurgent bid for Congress.Hizzoner continued to stand by his pick in the Democratic primary for New York’s 13th House District — challenging longtime Rep.Adriano Espaillat — despite a slew of her controversial statements resurfacing, including calling the US “a f–ing disgrace.”“When it comes to Darializa’s campaign for Congress, no, I had not seen those tweets,” he told reporters when pressed again on the comments during an unrelated press conference.“What I’ve heard from her, and what I know a lot of others in the district have heard from her, is that her views have evolved, and that the campaign that she’s running on is reflective of what she’s going to be fighting for,” he said.Mamdani’s recent backing of the far-left candidate came as a major slight to the upper Manhattan and Bronx districts’ longtime incumbent Espaillat, a former political ally of the mayor.More of her controversial views came back to light after Mamdani endorsed her, including attacking establishment Dems, such as calling former President Joe Biden a “rapist” and “war criminal” during the 2020 presidential election. Avila Chevalier also peddled a crackpot COVID-19 theory that said the virus originated in France — and quoted a Chinese Communist propaganda organ as evidence.Espaillat latest ad features some of the since-deleted posts from his challenger, including “f—k Kamala Harris” and accusing black and Muslim men of “fetishizing colonizer women.”But Mamdani has brushed off the controversy, praising the congressional hopeful for her “record.”“When I see a candidate who has a record like she does of freeing New Yorkers who were unjustly detained by ICE, of standing up for the working person who has often been left out of our politics —especially in a district t...