The Democratic candidates vying to be New York City’s next mayor spent Wednesday night’s debate making a case for why they would be the best person to defend the city from President Donald Trump.
The debate unfolded hours after Trump threatened Columbia University’s accreditation as part of a crackdown on universities across the country and arguments that colleges are fostering antisemitism in the United States. When moderators asked the nine candidates on stage for their reactions to the news, multiple called the move an overreach of the administration’s power.
Trump’s threat against Columbia is “literally attacking the foundation of democracy,” said former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the frontrunner in the mayoral race.