Kaepernick praises Mamdani, reflects on political shift

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has named New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a politician he finds inspiring, calling him a leader who is “moving the needle” on key issues. The comments came during an extensive exclusive interview with NBC News in which the activist reflected on his political evolution a decade after he famously refused to vote in the 2016 presidential election.

A decade of political evolution

In 2016, the same year he began taking a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality against Black people, Kaepernick created a firestorm when he revealed he did not vote in the election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. He described both candidates as “proven liars,” decried Trump as “openly racist,” and criticized Clinton for her use of the term “super predators” when defending the 1994 crime bill.

“You know, I think it would be hypocritical of me to vote,” Kaepernick told reporters at the time. “I said from the beginning I was against oppression, I was against the system of oppression. I’m not going to show support for that system.”

In his new memoir, “The Perilous Fight,” Kaepernick writes that he has since amended his stance on voting, particularly after witnessing the fallout from Trump’s first term. The realization of how significant the implications of not voting could be — from the Supreme Court to federal judges — prompted a fundamental shift in his approach.

“Part of trying to seek the best way for us to move forward and have impact is also realizing the moments where the intention of the perspective was right, but the strategy behind it actually wasn’t,” Kaepernick told NBC News.

Kaepernick writes in his book that he voted for Democratic candidates in both the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections and now recognizes that not participating in electoral politics was “irresponsible.”

Mamdani’s rise and appeal

As for current-day politicians he finds inspiring, Kaepernick pointed to Mamdani, the 34-year-old democratic socialist who has become one of the most recognizable figures in American politics. Mamdani was elected in November 2025 on an ambitious platform that included expanding universal childcare, freezing rents in rent-stabilized apartments, and opening city-run grocery stores.

“When we talk about leaders that are moving the needle right now, I think we’re seeing real impact coming out of Mamdani,” Kaepernick said. “It is very refreshing for a lot of people to see someone in a political role saying, ‘I am prioritizing the people’s needs. I’m going to hold people accountable to that, and we are just going to execute and deliver on this over and over again.’”

Mamdani’s early popularity appears substantial. An early-August Siena poll found that 69% of New Yorkers held a favorable view of the mayor, who was sworn in on January 1, 2026, after defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the general election.

Broader implications for political engagement

Kaepernick suggested that Mamdani’s style of governance could inspire more people to become politically engaged, particularly those who feel disconnected from the political process.

“Ultimately, I think a lot of those people who are out there that say, ‘Hey, this doesn’t represent me, I’m not voting, or I don’t feel great about the politicians out there,’ it’s because they aren’t seeing people move in that way,” Kaepernick said. “The more that we see that come, we’ll see more and more people involved and excited about what is happening in the political sphere.”

The interview is part of a broader NBC News exclusive marking the 10-year anniversary of Kaepernick’s protest, his first time speaking in depth about its fallout in years. The memoir, “The Perilous Fight,” is scheduled for release on September 15 through Legacy Lit, an imprint of the Hachette Book Group, almost exactly a decade after he first took a knee.

As The Associated Press reported, the publisher describes the book as “equal parts memoir and manifesto,” tracing Kaepernick’s journey from a Black child adopted into a white family in Turlock, California, through his NFL career and the protest that defined his legacy.

What to watch

Kaepernick’s endorsement of Mamdani signals a notable convergence between sports activism and municipal progressive politics. As Mamdani continues implementing his agenda in New York City, observers will watch whether his approach — and Kaepernick’s public support — translates into broader engagement among communities that have historically felt alienated from electoral politics.

With the memoir’s release just days away and Kaepernick scheduled to appear on “TODAY” on September 16, the former quarterback is clearly re-engaging with the public sphere in a more deliberate and visible way than at any point since his protest reshaped American sports and politics a decade ago.