Z
ohran Mamdani and I have a serious beef. He is unrelenting. His attacks come from all sides, when I least expect them. Charm, good looks, quick wits — just a few of the attributes that have made him New York’s youngest mayor in a generation, as well as a national political figure with the power to shake up Congress and parlay with the president — are weapons in his capable hands. I feel their brunt now for one simple reason: I am a proud supporter of Chelsea Football Club.
“What got you into Chelsea — you love Clearlake Capital?” he asks me before the cameras have even started rolling in the historic foyer of Gracie Mansion for the Rolling Stone Interview. He is roasting the fact that my team is owned by a massive American private-equity firm that spent $1.5 billion on new players only to finish in 10th place in the English Premier League this season. The mayor supports Arsenal, a rival London team who finished first. He is equally disgusted with my support for England in the World Cup. “Brother, whyyyy?” he says, grimacing.
I knew these opinions would be contentious, and yet, I was not prepared for the verbal violence they would bring. I make noises of protest, jabbing at Arsenal’s longtime sponsorship by the dastardly Dubai-owned Emirates Airlines, blaming my allegiances on an English father. None of it works. The dimples on Mamdani’s cheeks are pointed at me like a double-barreled shotgun. He is grinning, grinning.
