Full Breakdown
Jessica Tisch’s Al Smith Dinner Roast Sparks Calls for Her Removal
By Drooid · · How we work
The Dinner Remarks
At the recent Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation dinner, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch used the stage to lampoon “far-left” calls for her dismissal by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Background and Recent Controversy
The commissioner’s remarks came amid heightened scrutiny of the NYPD’s handling of anti-ICE protests that followed a federal-agent shooting of illegal migrant Oscar Belgal in the Bronx. Critics, including allies of Mayor Mamdani such as Darializa Avila Chevalier, have demanded Tisch’s resignation and the disbanding of the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group, accusing the department of violating New York’s sanctuary-city statutes.
Official Responses
Cardinal Timothy Dolan later referred to Tisch as “Wonder Woman,” commending her “splendid job” as NYPD co-chief chaplain.
Criticism and Opposition
Mamdani’s office did not comment on Tisch’s jokes, and the mayor was absent from the proceedings. Opponents argue that the NYPD’s response to the protests and the actions of the Strategic Response Group contravene the city’s sanctuary policies, urging city leadership to remove Tisch and overhaul the unit.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It’s been delightful sitting next to you today at this dinner,” — Archbishop Ronald Hicks, Archbishop of New York.