OAN Staff Blake Wolf
10:49 AM – Tuesday, August 19, 2025
New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently slammed his mayoral opponent, Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, for his previously vocalized support of decriminalizing prostitution — which he made known during his time as a member of the New York State Assembly.
“I can’t be more clear. I’m a man of God, just as Mamdani says he’s a Muslim. I don’t know where in his Quran it states that it’s okay for a woman to be on the streets selling their body,” Adams stated on Sunday.
“I don’t know what Quran he is reading. It’s not in my Bible,” he continued. “As a man who said he is of faith, I don’t quite understand what religion supports prostitution.”
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Mamdani previously pushed for legalized prostitution in 2020.
“I would like to register my support for [decriminalizing sex work] legislation, my eagerness for that debate and for my fundamental belief that sex work is work,” Mamdani stated at a 2021 assembly meeting.
However, despite Mamdani’s prior remarks, the 33-year-old self-described Democratic socialist has since largely avoided vocalizing support for legalized prostitution — especially since his announced mayoral run.
“I think he’s lost on the fact that sex trafficking is very much part of prostitution,” Adams stated. “We are trying to bring down crime and he is talking about legalizing sex work.”
“You’re not doing any service to a woman who is on the street who is forced to sell her body for whatever reason,” he continued. “No one should be on our streets selling their bodies. No one.”
“If that is his belief, it is a danger for our city,” Adams added. “Our city needs to be a safe city. It should not be a city where women are standing on corners, or boys are standing on corners, or young men [are] standing on corners selling their bodies.”
Soon after, a Mamdani spokesperson shot back at Adams while avoiding the mayor’s criticism of Mamdani’s support of legalized prostitution.
“Mayor Adams’s reckless budget cut over $3 million in funding from Safe Horizon, putting thousands of victims of crimes related to sex trafficking and prostitution in harm’s way,” the spokesperson stated.
“As Mayor, Zohran will prioritize genuine public safety for all, including investing $40M through his Department of Community Safety towards victims services,” the statement concluded.
Should Mamdani become the next mayor, he would be required to petition state lawmakers to introduce and pass a law decriminalizing prostitution — though he would have a key platform to issue support while also deprioritizing enforcement by the NYPD.
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