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“Ideologically, there’s no doubt that the mayor and I disagree on some very fundamental things to me.”
By United with Israel Staff
Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) Commissioner Robert Tucker is speaking publicly for the first time about why he resigned immediately after Zohran Mamdani won New York City’s mayoral race.
In an interview that aired Wednesday on CBS Mornings, Tucker said Mamdani’s anti-Israel rhetoric and his administration’s failure to reach out to the FDNY made it clear he could not remain in his post.
Tucker, a Jewish philanthropist and businessman, submitted his resignation just hours after the polls closed. At the time, he offered little explanation. Now he says the mayor-elect’s long public record of hostility toward Israel and his statements during the campaign forced him to make a decision he had hoped to avoid.
“I think the whole campaign really reflected that for me,” Tucker told host Tony Dokoupil. “Ideologically, there’s no doubt that the mayor and I disagree on some very fundamental things to me. I don’t want to leave as much unfinished business as I am leaving, but I thought it was the right time to depart.”
Tucker stressed that Mamdani’s rhetoric was not the only reason for his departure, but it played a central role. “I think it’s a factor [in my decision to resign], no doubt,” he said. “And I don’t want to tell you that it’s the only factor. But I believe that the things that I have heard the mayor say would make it difficult for me to continue on in such a senior executive role in the administration.”
He also noted that neither he nor the department had received any communication from Mamdani’s incoming team. “I haven’t heard from anyone in his incoming administration, nor has the department, and so I only hope that that is not an indicator of their feelings about the FDNY,” Tucker said. “I’d like to think they think everything is going so well here that they don’t need to transition so fast.”
For many Jewish New Yorkers and first responders, Mamdani’s history raises deep concerns. He has a long record of anti-Israel statements and ties to groups that have promoted hostility toward Israel.
Those concerns intensified last week when an antisemitic mob targeted Park East Synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The protesters surrounded the historic synagogue during an event for Nefesh B’Nefesh, a nonprofit that helps North American Jews move to Israel. Wearing keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags, the crowd gathered just steps from the building and chanted “Death to the IDF” and “Globalize the intifada.”
Tucker cited the incident and Mamdani’s response to it as another example of why he believes the city is heading in an alarming direction.
Tucker’s resignation letter thanked Mayor Eric Adams and described leading the FDNY as “the honor of a lifetime.” He wrote, “It is my intention to resign the office effective Friday, December 19, 2025. Between now and then, I will continue to lead the greatest fire department in the world and will ensure an orderly transition.”
Adams praised Tucker’s service, saying he led the FDNY with courage, passion and a deep commitment to public safety. Firefighter unions and associations voiced similar appreciation.
Mamdani will now have to contend with a fire department whose departing leader has publicly stated he cannot work under the incoming mayor and with a Jewish community alarmed by the mayor-elect’s anti-Israel record. The burden is on Mamdani to convince them he intends to protect all New Yorkers, including those who feel most threatened by his past words and associations.
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