The New York mayor’s popular moves on rent and free childcare defied rightwing predictions of a far-left hellscape
Rightwing politicians and media issued grave warnings about Zohran Mamdani.
The election of the democratic socialist would, according to some, cause a spike in crime, and a reduction in freedom, prompting rich people to flee the city and leading to, in the words of one conservative thinktank, “collapse, dependency, and political repression” in the manner of “Venezuela” and “Cuba”.
The reality of Mamdani’s first few days in office have been rather different, as the 34-year-old has eschewed turning the city into the forewarned dystopian nightmare in favor of making progress on campaign promises like housing and rent, while also conducting minor municipal repairs.
After an inauguration on New Year’s Day that saw thousands of New Yorkers brave sub-zero temperatures to attend, Mamdani swiftly got to work on chipping away at perhaps the most ambitious mayoral agenda in modern history.
