Zohran Mamdani spent the last hours of his wedding celebration in Uganda huddled remotely with his team after learning of New York’s deadliest mass shooting of the last 25 years.

Mamdani distanced himself from the posts. When asked if he regretted the statements, he said they were made “amidst a frustration that many New Yorkers held at the murder of George Floyd.” He also said multiple times that the posts were “clearly out of step” with his current view of policing and his campaign platform.

Back from Uganda, Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, sought to reassure voters concerned that his left-leaning policies would endanger the city’s safety.