She’s chosen her fighter.

Gov. Kathy Hochul is using socialist Zohran Mamdani as a shield to protect herself against a challenge from the left, capitalizing on his anti-President Trump defiance, political insiders said.

The scuttlebutt comes as Hochul on Tuesday defended endorsing Mamdani by arguing he’ll “stand up” to Trump — marking a change of tune for the Democratic governor who has otherwise had a productive relationship with the president.

“She supports Zohran to hide behind a more vocal leader,” said Michael Ceraso, a Democratic political consultant. “Her style doesn’t match a New York City-led resistance. 3

“Zohran gives Hochul an escape route,” Ceraso said. “She can say she aligned with the progressive movement, but still comes up way short on realizing their policy pla

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