Can Socialism Work for Business in NYC?
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A self-described Democratic Socialist could be NYC’s next mayor, and the ultra rich are in revolt— ‘hot commie summer’
Zohran Mamdani, a self-described Democratic Socialist, won New York City’s mayoral race. Billionaires are outraged after his win, and have rushed to paint him as a threat to business, democracy, and the Democratic Party. Many of the billionaires protesting also lost financially, donating to “Fix the City,” a nonprofit group that received about $25 million in donations and spent loads on pro-Cuomo ads and anti-Mamdani ads. Here are some of the loudest (and richest) voices attacking M amdani after his landmark win.. Tesla CEO Elon Musk still found time to chime in on Mamdni’s win, even if he held back major criticism. The billionaire founder of the Gristedes grocery chain threatened to move the company out of New York should Mamdhani win the NYC mayoral election. The hedge funder and activist investor Bill Ackman said he and his allies would saturate the election with donations to try to defeat him. “Socialism has no place in the economic capital of our country,’ wrote Ackman.
The 33-year-old Mamdani was, until recently, a little-known state assembly member and came into the Democratic primary as an underdog, unlikely to surmount former Gov. Cuomo’s brand recognition and billionaire backers. But his proposals—which included rent freezes, free bus fare, and city-owned grocery stores—ultimately resonated with New Yorkers who have faced rising rents and heaps of economic pain in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Mamdani has all but clinched the nomination after Cuomo conceded the race this week, and because of his Democratic Socialist label and controversial proposals, billionaires have rushed to paint the young politician as a threat to business, democracy, and the Democratic Party. Many of the billionaires protesting also lost financially, donating to “Fix the City,” a nonprofit group that received about $25 million in donations and spent loads on pro-Cuomo ads and anti-Mamdani ads, per Business Insider.
Here are some of the loudest (and richest) voices attacking Mamdani after his landmark win.
Bill Ackman (Net worth $8.09 billion)
One of the loudest voices condemning Mamdani is activist investor and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman. Ackman, who founded Pershing Square Capital Management, let loose on Mamdani in one of his characteristic posts on X.
In response to Mamdani’s win, the hedge funder said he and his allies would saturate New York City’s election with donations to try to defeat him.
After calling Mamdani “young and charming,” Ackman criticized him for his comments about the New York Police Department, and his proposals for rent freezes and city-owned grocery stores. He also claimed a Mamdani mayoral victory would push big business to exit New York.
“Socialism has no place in the economic capital of our country,” wrote Ackman on X. “The ability for NYC to offer services for the poor and needy, let alone the average New Yorker, is entirely dependent on NYC being a business-friendly environment and a place where wealthy residents are willing to spend 183 days and assume the associated tax burden.”
Ackman also promised hundreds of millions of dollars of funds “will pour in,” if the right candidate to oppose Mamdani appears.
Elon Musk (Net worth $368 billion)
Now essentially on the sidelines of government after running President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, Tesla CEO Elon Musk still found time to chime in on Mamdani’s win, even if he held back major criticism.
In several comments reacting to other users’ tweets on X, Musk made his skepticism about Mamdani known. Musk commented a laughing emoji in reaction to another user’s post criticizing Mamdani saying “queer liberation means defund the police.”
John Catsimatidis (Net worth $4.5 billion)
The billionaire founder of the Gristedes grocery chain threatened to move the company out of New York should Mamdani win the NYC mayoral election. Catsimatidis threatened to move the company’s corporate offices to New Jersey.
“If the city of New York is going socialist, I will definitely close, or sell, or move or franchise the Gristedes locations,” Catsimatidis told Fox Business.
Catsimatidis also took issue with Cuomo and the way he ran his campaign.
“It’s not a done deal, but Cuomo screwed up real big because he tried to do what President Biden did and hide in the basement for two months,” Catsimatidis told Forbes.
However, the grocery chain magnate said Trump may be able to help current New York City mayor Eric Adams beat out Mamdani in the general election in November. Adams has vowed to run as an independent.
Dan Loeb (Net worth $3.2 billion)
Dan Loeb, the billionaire founder of hedge fund Third Point, donated $250,000 to support “Fix the City,” which backed Cuomo.
After Mamdani’s presumptive win, Loeb criticized New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s comment calling Mamdani’s campaign a “formidable grassroots coalition.”
“For anyone who had a doubt that our Governor is a clueless, unqualified buffoon,” Loeb said in a post on X.
Loeb also cheekily declared that “It’s officially hot commie summer.”
What Will Really Happen if New York City Goes Socialist
Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York mayoral election has the business community alarmed, if not downright distressed. He has proposed building a network of city-run, subsidized grocery stores to drive food prices down. He also proposed nationalizing all utility companies, arguing that private companies are inherently incapable of addressing climate change. The prospect of the capital of capitalism going socialist poses a challenge for those who want to see New York City prosper, writes Julian Zelizer, the author of a new book, ‘The City That Never Was’ (Simon & Schuster, $16.99, £12.99), about the city’s history and future. The New York Times opinion page warned earlier this month, “We do not believe that Mr. M amdani deserves a spot on New Yorkers’ ballots.” “The villain of business is regressive, not progressive,” writes Zelizer. “Our hope is that under progressive capitalism, innovation and social progress is feeding the wellspring of creative and creative progress.’
The sweeping victory of the charismatic Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic New York mayoral election has the business community alarmed, if not downright distressed. Immediately after the election, many New York CEOs and financiers predicted an accelerated flight of capital to lower tax states like Texas and Florida.
Mamdani’s victory fits the emerging pattern of angry and fed-up voters from across the spectrum, as some notable anti-establishment populists have swept to victory in the US and across the globe on both the left and the right. But the prospect of the capital of capitalism going socialist poses a challenge for those who want to see New York City prosper.
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Mamdani’s economic proposals do not match the real challenges of today. He has proposed building a network of city-run, subsidized grocery stores to drive food prices down, bragging that he drew inspiration from none other than Donald Trump. Mamdani, blames grocery stores for running up food costs when in reality, grocery stores are some of the lowest-margin businesses around, with 1-2% profit margins in good times.
In fact, when we ran analysis of the 2014-2023 fiscal year revenues and profits for Fortune 100 companies has found little evidence of corporate price gouging or profiteering. On the contrary, the research indicates that large corporations responded to consumer needs by limiting price hikes and launching value products and discount programs. Those actions have become evident in the current inflation rate, which is nearly in line with the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
Mamdani has made “freeze the rent” a rallying cry, even though that would backfire, as rent caps would disincentivize developers to build new housing supply at a time when more housing is desperately needed. He has also proposed nationalizing all utility companies, arguing that private companies are inherently incapable of addressing climate change, which even fellow green environmentalists oppose.
The Democratic nominee estimates his agenda will cost taxpayers $10 billion annually. His solution for financing the hefty price tag is to increase taxes on big corporations and the wealthy. Never mind the questionable math used by the campaign to raise the $10 billion in municipal tax revenues, any tax increase – even at the local level – must be approved by the state assembly.
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While checks and balances may be established for tax policies, Mamdani has other levers that could damage the local economy if misused. Adjustments to land use and zoning laws, licensing and permitting processes, and environmental restrictions could be used by the would-be mayor to disadvantage major business leaders, real estate developers, successful entrepreneurs, and wealthy investors, among others, all of whom significantly contribute to New York City’s economic vitality.
Mamdani makes no defense of his lack of experience. His peak responsibility has been managing a staff of five as state assemblyman. His inability to build a record of achievement there has been described by many, including the New York Times opinion page which warned earlier this month, “We do not believe that Mr. Mamdani deserves a spot on New Yorkers’ ballots.”
Mamdani’s socialist taunts of big business are misguided. When big companies leave New York City do to rising costs to operate here, Mamdani’s constituents are the true victims. Already, by last year, JP Morgan Chase, which was founded in New York City more than 200 years ago and has 24,000 employees still in New York today, has started moving workers out of New York by the thousands. Texas has now already surpassed New York as the largest base of its workers with 30,000 employees there, and with another 15,000 based in Miami. Other pillars of New York’s financial community such as Goldman Sachs and Citigroup have similarly been relocating workers thousands of miles away from Wall Street. In earlier years, such global beacons of American capitalism and major employers of choice, from American Airlines and AT&T to Exxon and International Paper fled their historic New York homes for Texas. The loss of such businesses takes away jobs and the vital tax base needed to support infrastructure, social services, as well as educational and cultural institutions, while eroding economic development.
The villainizing of business is regressive, not progressive. History has repeatedly shown that socialism doesn’t work, as ideas that seem good in theory often turn into a mess of government bureaucracy, inefficiency, and inertia, setting society and living standards back instead of moving them forward. Capitalism is truly progressive, as capitalism has been directly responsible for the massive leaps in quality of life and prosperity, feeding the dynamic wellspring of innovation and creative destruction which underlies genuine and societal progress. Our hope is that New Yorkers will continue to keep this dynamic city the capital of capitalism.
Contact us at letters@time.com.
Electing socialist Zohran Mamdani NYC mayor would spur cop exodus, rising crime: experts
A New York City led by socialist Zohran Mamdani will mean a two-pronged breakdown of public safety, experts and veteran cops say. Critics of the Democratic mayoral nominee and frontrunner heading into November’s general election aren’t buying his 11th-hour vow. They believe the U-turn during the final weeks of his primary campaign was just a craven political move to score votes with undecided voters. “I’ve had guys call me and say ‘If he wins, I’m quitting,’” a police source said. � “He wants to . . . neuter the Police Department,” another veteran says. ‘He’d just go off a narrative that if you hate cops, you’re going to get elected’ ‘‘If you put a guy like him in there, our people are going to getting hurt, and nobody’S going to want the job’
Critics of the Democratic mayoral nominee and frontrunner heading into November’s general election aren’t buying Mamdani’s 11th-hour vow that he won’t “defund the police” or shrink the NYPD’s workforce if elected — a reversal of of his longstanding positions.
Instead, they believe the U-turn during the final weeks of his primary campaign was just a craven political move to score votes with undecided voters.
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7 A New York City led by socialist Zohran Mamdani (pictured) would mean public safety spiraling out of control with crime rising and NYPD officers leaving in masses, experts and veteran cops told The Post. Christopher Sadowski
“The city would be totally unsafe for people who live here,” predicted Scott Munro, president of the NYPD Detectives’ Endowment Association.
“I go to bed and worry about the phone ringing. I’m worried about my members getting killed. I don’t want to plan any funerals,” he added.
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“If you put a guy like him in there, our people are going to get hurt, and nobody’s going to want the job. It’s going to put recruitment back five more steps,” Munro said.
NYPD brass are quietly bracing for a potential mass exodus unless Mayor Adams, a Democrat and retired NYPD captain seeking re-election as an independent, or GOP mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa, pull off an upset.
“I’ve had guys call me and say ‘If he wins, I’m quitting,’” a police source said of Mamdani. “It’s just weird that New York City would vote for him. I know he’s not here for the police.”
7 Fare beating in subways and other low-level lawlessness would all but be ignored under a Mamdani administration, many law-enforcement experts contend. Christopher Sadowski
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An NYPD officer planning to soon retire after nearly two decades on the job said the city’s predominantly far-left leadership — especially on the City Council — already favors criminals over cops, and he believes such sentiment would grow worse under Mamdani.
“This guy thinks the entire NYPD is racist,” the veteran said.
“I think right now the department is more diverse than it ever was before. I don’t think this guy has even stepped foot in a precinct. He’s completely clueless to what the police department is today. He’s just going off a narrative that if you hate cops you’re going to get elected.”
7 Mamdani a long history of calling for huge cuts to the NYPD but he now claims he has no plans to shrink the police force. ZUMAPRESS.com
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Mamdani’s far-left platform doesn’t include hiring more cops, a vow most other mayoral candidates made.
Instead, he wants to create a new Department of Community Safety that operates separately from the Police Department. It would dramatically expand so-called “violence interrupter programs” and mental health teams that respond to 911 calls — especially in the city’s subway system, where violent attacks by unhinged homeless people have been commonplace.
“He’s trying to take the existing Police Department and turn them into social workers,” said Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels. “He wants to . . . neuter the Police Department.
“Cops would not be able to function as they have taken their solemn oath to do, to protect us, to go out there and grab those who are committing crimes and to have them locked up,” Sliwa added.
7 Mamdani won Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary. Paul Martinka
“He has a weird notion of how policing is, as if it should be people like Mahatma Gandhi walking around, you know, functioning as a social worker. That does not work.”
Under Adams’ NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who Mamdani has said he’d consider retaining if elected, major crimes – including homicides, robberies and shootings — are down 5% to date compared to last year and 8% since 2019.
A longtime NYPD detective said he envisions the Big Apple under Mamdani’s leadership morphing into a crime-ridden “Gotham City” — straight out of “Batman.”
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The detective also said it is “hypocritical” of Mamdani to accept round-the-clock, police-detail protection as a mayoral candidate while clearly disliking the NYPD.
“You have police protecting you, but you don’t want to protect the people of New York City?” he said.
7 Mamdani doesn’t want NYPD cops dealing with the homeless in most situations — including those who are violent. Stephen Yang
7 Former Mayor Bill de Blasio said he believes Mandani has been unfairly “demonized” as anti-NYPD. Robert Miller
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However, far-left ex-NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said he believes Mamdani has been unfairly “demonized” during the campaign – especially by ex-Gov. and mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo — and that New Yorkers shouldn’t expect mass lawlessness under the 33-year-old socialist pol.
“He wants to keep the city safe,” de Blasio insisted to The Post.
“He understands as a local elected official how important public safety is to people, and it’s not going to help him achieve his economic agenda if the city isn’t safe.
“He has a chance to choose a leader who shares his vision of getting more mental healthcare work done by healthcare professionals, rather than police officers,” added the ex-mayor, an avid Mamdani backer. “I think a lot of police officers would agree with that.
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7 Scott Munro, president of the NYPD Detectives’ Endowment Association, said he believes there could be a mass exodus of cops leaving the NYPD if Mamdani is mayor. “Nobody will take the job,” he said. Helayne Seidman
Mamdani did not return messages.
Hank Sheinkopf, a longtime consultant of Democratic campaigns and law-enforcement agencies, said he’s not buying Mamdani’s claim that he won’t gut the NYPD if elected mayor.
“His supporters say” he’ll defund the police, said Sheinkopf. “That’s who he is, and that’s what’s gonna happen, and we can’t afford to lose a single cop. If this guy gets in power, we’re gonna lose a lot of cops.”
Fact check: Is Zohran Mamdani a communist?
Zohran Mamdani, 33, soared to the lead in the New York City mayoral Democratic primary. But some politicians and social media posts falsely labelled him a communist. Experts say he hasn’t espoused key tenets of communism, such as government takeover of industry and private property. When politicians use the term democratic socialism, they are often referring to generous social insurance programmes available to the public. The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the claims by Donald Trump and others that Mamdhani is a communist or communist sympathiser. MamdANI will face Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, the founder of civilian crime-fighting group Guardian Angels, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent. He is expected to win the election in November, when the city completes the ranked choice voting process, and will face Mr Adams in the general election in 2015. The campaign has yet to announce a date for the general elections, which will be held in November 2015. For confidential support on suicide matters call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details.
Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old who soared to the lead in the New York City mayoral Democratic primary, describes himself as a democratic socialist. But some politicians and social media posts falsely labelled him a communist.
President Donald Trump called Mamdani “a 100% Communist Lunatic”, in a June 25 Truth Social post.
Nick Sortor, a conservative podcast host, wrote June 23 on X, “Zohran Mamdani is not even a socialist. He’s a full on COMMUNIST,” sharing a video clip of Mamdani calling for a network of city-owned grocery stores. “Even FURTHER left than Bernie Sanders. He wants government-run grocery stores.”
Ben Shapiro, cofounder of conservative website The Daily Wire, said on his podcast, “The big news of the day: A communist is likely to be the next mayor of New York City.”
Representative Elise Stefanik also wrote on X that Mamdani is a “communist”.
Mamdani’s platform calls for making transportation, housing and groceries more affordable, but experts say he hasn’t espoused key tenets of communism, such as government takeover of industry and private property.
“Mamdani is NOT a communist,” wrote Anna Grzymala-Busse, Stanford University professor of international studies, in an email to PolitiFact. “Communism involves a centrally planned economy, with no market forces. Prices and quantities are set by a central government authority. There is no democratic political competition, and instead a single party rules the country. He is not calling for any of this.”
Accusing Democrats of being communists or communist sympathisers is a frequent misleading attack line by some Republicans. It is a red scare tactic that has existed in US politics for decades, but has been transformed by the success of some democratic socialists, including US Senator Bernie Sanders.
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Mamdani made national headlines June 24 after former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo conceded the primary. When the city completes the ranked choice voting process, Mamdani is expected to win. Mamdani’s office did not respond to our requests for comment.
In November, Mamdani will face Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, the founder of civilian crime-fighting group Guardian Angels, and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent. Cuomo left open the door to running as an independent.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Mamdani’s platform calls for some city-owned grocery stores, other affordability policies
Mamdani, who represents part of the Queens borough in the New York State Assembly, identifies as a democratic socialist.
The New York City Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Mamdani, who is a member.
The group defines its goal as “to collectively own the key economic drivers that dominate our lives, such as energy production and transportation”, and to have “a system where ordinary people have a real voice in our workplaces, neighbourhoods, and society”.
Mamdani’s platform includes freezing rent for tenants in buildings with preexisting caps on price increases between lease terms. He also proposed creating city-owned grocery stores, and said in a June interview with Spectrum News NY1 that he would start with one grocery store in each borough modelled on municipality-owned stores in Kansas.
He also proposed free buses and child care, and raising the corporate tax rate and the minimum wage.
Mamdani does not call for getting rid of private ownership. One of the goals included on his website is to “make it faster, easier, and cheaper to start and run a business”.
He told The New York Times that he changed his mind about the role of the private market in housing construction, saying, “I clearly recognise now that there is a very important role to be played.” The story links to Mamdani’s website, which calls for the public sector to build affordable housing but not take over all housing.
What are the differences between communism and democratic socialism?
We sent highlights from Mamdani’s platform to seven experts across academic disciplines including political science, law and anthropology. None concluded that Mamdani is a communist.
“The idea that Mamdani is a communist is an absurd slander,” said Geoffrey Kurtz, associate professor of political science at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, City University of New York.
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When US politicians use the term democratic socialism, they are referring to generous social insurance programmes often available in European countries, such as heavily subsidised child care, along with high tax rates, if needed, to pay for education and healthcare.
Mamdani doesn’t seek to do away with private property or advocate a government takeover of any industry, said Ted Henken, a Baruch College professor. Instead, Mamdani proposes targeted interventions to tackle high living costs in New York City, Henken said.
“The New Yorkers who support him seem to do so not because of any communist ideology on his or their part, but because he proposes to address this crisis of affordability,” Henken said.
“For example, his city-run grocery store idea does not propose to take over or do away with the private grocery chains (they already receive city subsidies) but to complement them with nonprofit city-run stores,” Henken said.
Although Mamdani said in a campaign TikTok video that he would “redirect funds from corporate supermarkets to city-owned grocery stores”, he did not say he would get rid of corporate markets. Mamdani also said city-owned markets would work with privately owned small businesses and farms.
Political theory experts said many of Mamdani’s proposals have existed in other democracies for decades.
“Many western democracies – from France to Canada – have policies such as free or heavily subsidised child care and public transit,” said Oxana Shevel, a Tufts University associate professor of comparative politics.
Under a communist agenda, the government would own everything and entirely control prices, not only rent control or operating some supermarkets. And under communism, there are no political parties other than the communist party.
“This is not what he’s advocating,” Shevel said. “So no, he’s not a ‘communist’.”
Democratic socialism emerged as an alternative to communism, said Harvey Klehr, an Emory University expert on the history of American communism.
“At least in theory, they reject such communist concepts as the vanguard of the proletariat and the communist hostility to representative democracy, as well as the communist belief in state ownership of the means of production,” Klehr said. “That said, there are a number of issues on which they agree, including hostility to capitalism.”
Experts said there are reasonable critiques of Mamdani’s proposals, but that doesn’t make his proposals communist.
Our ruling
Trump said Mamdani is a communist.
Mamdani’s mayoral platform proposes making New York City more affordable, including via free buses and day care, rent control and city-owned grocery stores. That is not akin to communism, a system in which the government controls the means of production and takes over private businesses. Mamdani has not called for the elimination of private ownership.
He also hasn’t called for eliminating democracy and political parties, another tenet of communism.
We rate this statement False.
Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this fact-check
House Republican Wants Zohran Mamdani Deported
Republican Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee has called for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to be denaturalized and deported. Ogles: “He needs to be DEPORTED,” adding: “Which is why I am calling for him to be subject to denaturalization proceedings” The 33-year-old state assemblyman was born in Uganda to Indian parents and became a U.S. citizen in 2018. He’s been targeted with a rash of racist and Islamophobic attacks from high-profile Republicans and MAGA influencers since overtaking Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary. The race has not yet been called, but Cuomo conceded to M amdani less than two hours after polls closed, and the final result is expected to be announced on July 1. The Young Republicans Club of New York, which consists of Republicans aged 18 to 40, similarly called on the Trump administration to revoke MAMDAN’s citizenship. The White House has not commented on Ogles’ letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Republican Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee has called for New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to be denaturalized and deported.
Why It Matters
Mamdani, 33, is a democratic socialist and New York state assemblyman who was born in Uganda to Indian parents. He’s lived in New York City since he was 7 years old and became a U.S. citizen in 2018.
On Tuesday evening, Mamdani set off a political earthquake in New York when he toppled former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the city’s Democratic mayoral primary, putting Mamdani on track to win the party’s nomination.
The race has not yet been called, but Cuomo conceded to Mamdani less than two hours after polls closed, and the final result is expected to be announced on July 1.
Representative Andy Ogles, left, arrives at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, while New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, right, attends the Freeze The Rent rally at Riverside Church in Manhattan on May 15. Representative Andy Ogles, left, arrives at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, while New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, right, attends the Freeze The Rent rally at Riverside Church in Manhattan on May 15. Associated Press
What To Know
Mamdani has been targeted with a rash of racist and Islamophobic attacks from high-profile Republicans and MAGA influencers since overtaking Cuomo in the Democratic primary.
On Thursday, Ogles called Mamdani “little muhammad” in a post to X, formerly Twitter, adding that the mayoral hopeful “is an antisemitic, socialist, communist who will destroy the great City of New York.”
“He needs to be DEPORTED,” Ogles said, adding: “Which is why I am calling for him to be subject to denaturalization proceedings.”
The Tennessee lawmaker attached photos of a letter he sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting that the Department of Justice investigate whether Mamdani should be denaturalized “on the grounds that he may have procured U.S. citizenship through willful misrepresentation or concealment of material support for terrorism.”
Newsweek reached out to Mamdani’s campaign and to the White House for comment via email on Thursday.
Ogles’ and most Republicans have repeatedly conflated Mamdani’s criticism of the Israeli government’s military actions in the Gaza Strip with support for Hamas.
The 33-year-old state assemblyman also got blowback from Cuomo over Israel during the Democratic mayoral primary debate earlier this month, when candidates were asked which foreign country they would visit first as mayor.
Cuomo said he would visit Israel, while Mamdani said he would stay in New York City, adding: “My plans are to address New Yorkers across the five boroughs.”
“His answer was no, he won’t visit Israel. That’s what he was trying to say,” Cuomo said after some back and forth between Mamdani and the moderators. Mamdani said during the debate and in public comments that Israel “has the right to exist” as “a state with equal rights” but that his priority as mayor would be addressing the needs of the city.
Meanwhile, Republicans, including President Donald Trump and White House officials, have framed Mamdani’s stunning upset in New York City as evidence of uncontrolled migration, aligning with the broader White House strategy of keeping border policy at the center of the national conversation.
“NYC is the clearest warning yet of what happens to a society when it fails to control migration,” Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy and arguably the most hard-line, anti-immigrant figure in the Trump administration, wrote on X after the Democratic primary.
“Zohran Mamdani hasn’t even been a U.S. citizen for 10 years,” far-right pro-Trump activist Laura Loomer wrote on X. “He is literally supported by terrorists. NYC is about to see 9/11 2.0.”
Ogles’ letter to Bondi came one day after the New York Young Republicans Club, which consists of Republicans in Manhattan aged 18 to 40, similarly called on the Trump administration to revoke Mamdani’s citizenship.
“A CALL TO ACTION FROM THE NYYRC,” the organization said in an X post. “The radical Zohran Mamdani cannot be allowed to destroy our beloved city of New York. The Communist Control Act lets President Trump revoke @ZohranKMamdani’s citizenship and promptly deport him.”
NYYRC tagged Miller and Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, in the post, writing, “The time for action is now —@StephenM and@RealTomHoman, New York is counting on you.”
In addition to elected Republicans and GOP-aligned groups, Mamdani’s victory has rattled high-profile businessmen including hedge fund managers Bill Ackman and Daniel Loeb and Citadel CEO Ken Griffin.
The New York Times reported that Loeb and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who’s running as an independent in this year’s mayoral race, met with top business leaders on Wednesday night to discuss how to stop Mamdani’s rise.
What People Are Saying
Mamdani addressed some of the attacks against him during his victory speech on Tuesday, telling supporters: “This has been a historically contentious race. One that has filled our airwaves with millions in smears and slander.”
He added: “I hope, I hope now that this primary has come to an end, I can introduce myself once more. Not as you’ve seen me in a 30-second ad or in a mailer in your mailbox, but as how I will lead as your mayor.”
Trump ripped Mamdani after his shocking upset in the mayoral primary, writing on Truth Social: “It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor.”
He added: “We’ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous. He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he’s not very smart, he’s got AOC+3, Dummies ALL, backing him, and even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him. Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!”
By “AOC+3,” the president was referring to New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who endorsed Mamdani, and the three other members of the “Squad”: Representatives Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib.
Ocasio-Cortez celebrated Mamdani’s victory on Tuesday, writing on X:”Congratulations, @ZohranKMamdani! Your dedication to an affordable, welcoming, and safe New York City where working families can have a shot has inspired people across the city. Billionaires and lobbyists poured millions against you and our public finance system. And you won.”
What Happens Next
Cuomo conceded to Mamdani and bowed out of the Democratic primary on Tuesday but has still secured an independent line on the mayoral ballot. He told CBS News on Wednesday that he was considering staying in the race and on Thursday evening, CNN cited sources who said the former governor plans to remain on the ballot as an independent.