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Republicans from across the country criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani after he warned New Yorkers not to put too much pressure on the power grid during the brutal heat.The city is currently facing a multi-day forecast of extreme temperatures expected to continue through the holiday weekend.Here's what Mamdani said, and the Republican backlash that followed.Mamdani tells New Yorkers: Turn AC to 78 degreesOn Wednesday, the mayor posted to X asking residents to not overstrain the power grid."New York: it's hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool," he wrote."Set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you're not using, and unplug what you can." The mayor then said that NYC facilities would be following the suggestion, too."Our City is doing its part too: maintaining the 78 degrees rule in our buildings, dimming/turning off our lights during peak electricity demand, asking private partners to do the same, and powering down non-essential equipment," he said."A stable grid means the AC stays on, and lives are saved. Let's ease demand — and get through the heat — together."Recent guidance from the Department of Energy suggests starting at 75 to 78 degrees for air conditioning, and increasing that number if no one is home.Republicans respondA large wave of Republicans responded after the post, with many saying that socialism was at fault for the request."This is what socialism looks like, folks. The right answer isn’t restrictions or mandates. It’s drilling, fracking, coal, & nuclear," Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican running for governor in Ohio, wrote on X. "That’s how we’ll roll in Ohio.""Welcome to socialism," Nikki Haley, a former candidate for president, tweeted.Ted Cruz, a senator in Texas, joked that "In a first-world country, you could turn on the A/C." A community note was added to the post that indicated Texas has also asked residents to turn their AC units to 78 degrees in the past.Even Dave Portnoy, the Barstool Sports founder who has said he was thinking of running against Mamdani for mayor, criticized the post."78 degrees??? Welcome to communism people! Hope you enjoy!," he posted.
