Part 3/13:
A recurring theme throughout the debate was the intense focus on identity and ideological clashes, rather than substantive policy discussion. Cuomo accused Mandani of being anti-Semitic, prompting Mandani to retort that Cuomo was an Islamophobe, turning the exchange into a chaotic shouting match rather than a serious dialogue. The candidates often attacked each other with accusations of bigotry, softness on crime, or extremism, exemplifying a rotten "DEI contest"—a battle of woke politics—more than a meaningful debate on governance.