Kari Lake, acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, has criticized New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s decision to appoint Lillian Bonsignore as head of the city fire department, arguing it undermines merit-based leadership in public safety roles.
On “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” Lake highlighted that Bonsignore, who previously oversaw emergency medical services operations at the FDNY, lacks firefighting experience. She would become the first openly gay person to lead the department.
“The fact that she’s not a firefighter just doesn’t make sense,” Lake stated, emphasizing that FDNY commissioners have historically risen through the ranks of firefighting leadership. “They want to check the box,” she added. “I don’t care who you’re sleeping with—I just don’t want to hear about it.”
Lake condemned the appointment as misaligned with common-sense standards for public safety management, asserting that public trust depends on demonstrated expertise rather than personal characteristics. “Let’s define people by the content of their character, what they do, how they help, and how they make improvements,” she said.
Mamdani defended his transition team’s appointments as reflective of inclusive leadership principles ahead of his inauguration. Lake broadened her critique to a cultural trend: “God forbid, in this world, a straight, white male—they have been demonized.” She stressed that many Americans, including gay individuals, are tired of being defined by sexual orientation rather than professional ability.
