Zohran Mamdani told a group of top business leaders in New York City on Tuesday that he would discourage the use of the phrase “globalize the intifada,” according to two people who were in the room during the meeting,

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee in the race for mayor of New York City, moved to distance himself from comments that sparked outrage during the primary.

The New York mayoral candidate told a group of the city’s top business leaders that he would “discourage” use of the phrase.