- He promises to set an example for the world through New York’s leadership.
- Focuses message on cost of living pressures and economic justice
- Pledges to support those he said were betrayed by the established order.
Zohran Mamdani vowed Thursday to prove that left-wing politics can succeed as he took over as mayor of New York for a term that will surely see him cross swords with US President Donald Trump.
Thousands gathered in frigid conditions in America’s largest city to celebrate the 34-year-old Democrat’s inauguration after his impressive political rise from relative anonymity just a year ago.
“They want to know if the left can govern. They want to know if the struggles that afflict them can be resolved,” Mamdani said outside City Hall.
“We will do something that New Yorkers do better than anyone else: we will set an example for the world,” he added in a 24-minute speech.
Mamdani, New York’s first Muslim mayor, emphasized the cost-of-living issues that were central to his mayoral campaign, and promised to help those “betrayed by the established order.”
Leftist allies Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also delivered remarks in front of about 4,000 ticketed guests.
Thousands more packed downtown Manhattan, many wearing yellow and blue hats emblazoned with “Zohran,” to watch Mamdani’s ceremony on giant screens.
“This is the first time any of us in our entire lives have felt any kind of political hope,” said scientist Jacob Byerly, 31. AFP with his wife, Auburn.
ambitious agenda
It remains to be seen whether Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, can deliver on his ambitious agenda, which calls for a rent freeze, universal childcare and free public buses.
Once the election is over, “symbolism only goes so far for voters. The results start to matter a lot more,” said John Kane, a professor at New York University.
Trump’s behavior could be decisive.
The Republican, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, but the two had surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November.
But a flashpoint could be immigration raids as Trump wages an escalating crackdown on immigrants across the United States.
Mamdani has promised to protect immigrant communities.
Before the November vote, the president also threatened to cut federal funding to New York if he elected Mamdani, whom he called a “communist lunatic.”
The mayor has said he believes Trump is a fascist.
Symbolic inauguration
Mamdani’s inauguration was filled with symbolism.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud, held a private midnight swearing-in in an abandoned subway station.
Mamdani’s office said the simple location beneath City Hall reflected his commitment to workers.
And for the first time in the city, Mamdani used Korans to take the oath of office as mayor: two from his family and one that belonged to Puerto Rican-born black writer Arturo Schomburg, The New York Times reported.
The new job comes with a change of address: he swaps his rent-controlled apartment in the Queens neighborhood for Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s luxurious residence on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Some had wondered whether he would move into the official mansion given his campaigning on affordability issues. Mamdani said he was doing it mainly for security reasons.
Born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin, Mamdani moved to New York at the age of seven and enjoyed an elite education, with only a relatively brief period in politics.
To compensate for his inexperience, he is surrounding himself with experienced aides recruited in previous mayoral administrations and the administration of former US President Joe Biden.
Mamdani has also opened a dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a mass exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate leaders have debunked those claims.
As an advocate for Palestinian rights, he will have to reassure the city’s Jewish community – the largest in the United States – about his inclusive leadership.
Recently, one of his hires resigned after it was revealed that she had posted anti-Semitic tweets years ago.
