(NewsNation) — The former New York City Police chief of department says Zohran Mamdani's rhetoric about the NYPD leaves several questions to be answered.

"He aligns himself with the Democratic Socialists of America," John Chell told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo in a Wednesday show appearance.

"Their platform is real, real out there in public safety. Do away with prisons and the cops are abolished and cops are bad. So, he aligns with that."

Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in the city's mayoral election after his campaign focused on affordability — specifically free transportation, universal child care and a rent freeze for stabilized units.

The mayor-elect had previously said he supported defunding the police, calling them anti-gay, racist and a

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