Former President Barack Obama praised socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a Tuesday night interview with outgoing “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert, calling the Democratic mayor “an extraordinary talent” while discussing the future of the Democratic Party.

The interview, which was prerecorded and aired on Tuesday, was filmed at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. During the conversation, Colbert asked Obama about tensions between the more centrist and progressive wings of the Democratic Party.

In the conversation, Obama mentioned that he would not just like to see the party of the Democrats whipped into better shape, but also said that he wanted to see the Republicans as a “loyal opposition.” 

Colbert framed the discussion by naming politicians from both sides of the party, saying, “So you have great leaders. You have people like [Virginia Governor] Abigail Spanberger and [New Jersey Governor] Mikie Sherrill, very centrist. But then you have further left, like AOC and Zohran Mamdani.”

He then asked Obama, “What direction do you think would be best for this party to actually achieve change?”
 

Obama said that when he was president, he would be asked what change he’d like to see in the nation’s capital. “I’d say I’d love a loyal opposition. I’d love a Republican. Part that was conservative in some ways, that didn’t agree with me on a whole bunch of stuff, but believed in rule of law and judicial independence and empirical evidence and science, and wasn’t constantly tapping into our worst impulses.”

He pushed back on the idea that a major internal divide exists within the Democrat Party. “I’m not so worried about this so-called rift between the left and liberals, as you described it,” Obama told Colbert. “Because I think that within the Democratic Party, and I would argue a bunch of independents and even some Republicans as well, there’s an overarching belief in equality, fairness, if you work then you should be able to make a living wage and support a family and retire with dignity.”

He added, “There are a bunch of things that we agree on. And it’s really more of a question of, what are the specific things that we have to do.” Obama later singled out Mamdani by name.

“You look at somebody like Mamdani, who I think is an extraordinary talent,” Obama said. “He wants people to be able to afford housing in New York. Well, you know, I would assume liberals in New York want the same thing.”

“I’m more interested in for Democrats is do you know to just talk to regular people like we’re not in a college seminar, right?” he said. Colbert responded by praising Mamdani’s communication style. “I think that’s one of the powers that Mamdani has,” Colbert said.

Obama agreed, replying: “That’s correct.” Colbert continued: “Not only does he talk like a normal person, but he lives a normal life, but also, he names what is obviously wrong.”

“Yes!” Obama responded. “And not have a bunch of gobbledygook around it… Just talk like normal people talk.”