Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration: New mayor vows not to soften democratic socialist agenda for governing NYC

AM New York ^ | 1/1/26 | Adam Daly

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Mayor Zohran Mamdani opened his administration Thursday with an explicit pledge to govern the nation’s largest city as a democratic socialist, saying he would not soften his politics as he ushered in the “new era.”

“I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist,” Mamdani said in his inaugural address on New Year’s Day before a crowd of thousands gathered at City Hall and at a block party down the Canyon of Heroes.

The declaration, made on the steps of City Hall, set the tone for a speech that framed his mayoralty as a test of whether a left-wing government can deliver for working people while confronting corporate power and economic inequality.

“No longer will City Hall hesitate to use its power to improve New Yorkers’ lives,” he said, arguing that decades of deference to the private sector had eroded trust in government.

He rejected advice to lower expectations at the outset of his term. “The only expectation I seek to reset is that of small expectations,” Mamdani said. “Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously.”

[CondoleezzaProtege]

[Paladin2]

Totally a scam to steal OPM.

Smoke the Hopium peeple.

[bray]

Free everything except taxes.

[Leaning Right]

Pedal to the metal, eh Zohran?

[BradyLS]

Pay attention, New Yorkers. What follows is what you wanted!

[butlerweave]

Did he ever hear about Nicolae Ceaușescu ?

[jeffersondem]

It looks like Mamdani will do what Confederate agents were unable to do it 1864 - burn NYC to the ground.

I can't see anything residents of the city can do to stop the impending disaster.

“Flee” is the only advice I can offer.

[TigersEye]

We have to make sure he runs his little experiment without any Federal tax dollars.

[tet68]

New Yorkers are going to get what they want good and hard, it serves them right and I will not shed a tear for their self inflicted paint

[4Runner]

Self-Inflicted Paint.

Best description of Abstract Expressionism I've ever seen.

[aquila48]

I’m afraid it’ll spread to other parts of the country.

I hope he destroys New York in record time so others won’t be tempted to follow.

[dinodino]

Nu Yawkers can suck it. They will get what they voted for.

[dfwgator]

Nu Yawkers can suck it. They will get what they voted for.

---

Good and hard.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Gooder and harder, Nyawkers. No whining, now.

[dayglored]

Those of us who live in Upstate NY (which leans Right/Republican for the most part, although towns like Ithaca where I am are the exception) have for decades suffered due to the increasingly heavy financial weight of New York City dragging the rest of our state into a hole. We're freakin' sick of it!

So now NYC will go irretrievably down the tubes even faster. Great.

Just as long as it doesn't take the rest of the state with it. I'm not optimistic about that....

[OrangeHoof]

Communists never soften their agendas. They just lieabout them until they get their way. Madmani is no different.

[sphinx]

Has he announced his plan for a wall to keep New Yorkers from fleeing?

[CaptainK]

With what's going on in Minneapolis, it might be harder to shove universal child care down the throats of New Yorkers.

[1066AD]

Saw another piece about his downfall the other day. Always amazing, King of the heap, pep rally to firing squad in ten days or so !

Funny thing is, I remember back in Soviet days we were being told he was a moderate and someone we could engage. What a crock !

[dfwgator]

Yep, Nixon and Reagan loved the guy, because he was perceived of being independent of Moscow.