If you can’t take the heat, get out of Gracie.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reportedly backed out of a planned interview with CBS News after a social-media post from journalist Bari Weiss intensified tensions between the mayor and the network.
According to a report from Vanity Fair, Mamdani had been in discussions to sit down with Robert Costa for an appearance on CBS Sunday Morning.
But the mayor had reportedly grown reluctant to appear after receiving critical coverage from Weiss’ digital outlet The Free Press.
The situation escalated after Weiss reacted with a fire emoji to comments made on Feb. 28 by Iranian journalist and activist Masih Alinejad, who recently became a contributor to CBS News.
— Bari Weiss (@bariweiss) February 28, 2026
During CBS coverage of the conflict with Iran, Alinejad sharply criticized Mamdani’s condemnation of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led military campaign against the Iranian regime.
“Mr. Mamdani, you are more than welcome to come to one of my safe houses,” Alinejad said during the broadcast.
She then accused the mayor of ignoring threats posed by Iran’s government while focusing criticism on President Donald Trump.
A source cited by Vanity Fair said Weiss’ reaction to the comments proved to be the final straw in Mamdani’s decision not to proceed with the CBS interview.
“Bari and her people have a clear ax to grind with him,” a former CBS producer told the magazine. “It’s not just Zohran. It’s really hard now to get people to come on CBS.”
More over at Mediaite:
'Nail in the Coffin': Mamdani Reportedly Scraps CBS Interview After Bari Weiss X Post https://t.co/YaLUtv3u6J
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 13, 2026
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