The recent political rise of Zohran Mamdani should alarm anyone who still believes in responsible governance, democratic values and basic moral clarity.
Mamdani, a self-proclaimed Socialist and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, represents a dangerous shift in New York City politics and perhaps American politics more broadly. He has openly called to defund the police, abolish prisons and dismantle ICE—positions that would undermine law, safety and justice in a city already reeling from rising crime and instability. Mamdani’s ascendance is not a sign of progress. It is a symptom of a political ecosystem that has lost control of its messaging, especially within the Democratic Party.
This is not just about his radical policies but about what his rhetoric signals. Mamdani has a deeply troubling record of antisemitic, anti-Zionist statements, including his refusal to denounce the phrase “Globalize the intifada,” which is a call that glorifies violence and terror. Intifada is the Arabic term that means the call for violent resistance through terrorizing others for an Islamist cause.
Worse still, he once outrageously compared that slogan to the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, drawing an offensive and historically illiterate parallel between Jewish Holocaust resistance fighters and modern-day terrorist movements. At a time when antisemitism is at record highs, Mamdani is not just out of step but fanning the flames of hatred.
And yet, rather than reject these radical stances, prominent Democrats have congratulated him. Both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries offered public praise for Mamdani’s win—carefully avoiding full-throated endorsements but unmistakably signaling approval. Is this the new face of the Democratic Party? Do they now tacitly accept Mamdani’s vision of a city with no police, no prisons, no borders—and no Jewish state?
This is not progressivism. It is ideological extremism dressed up in slick TikTok clips and empty slogans. Mamdani may be skilled in digital storytelling and social-media performance, but governing the most populous city in the country requires more than charisma. It demands experience, competence, know-how and the ability to manage the largest police department and fire department in the nation, as well as an economy that supports more than 8 million people. Mamdani has shown none of that.
His popularity stems not from viable policy but from his ability to tap into widespread dissatisfaction, especially among young voters and marginalized ones who feel ignored by traditional politicians. He has cloaked his campaign in the language of revolution and representation. Beneath the surface, however, he is a political movement offering no economic strategy, no solutions for crime or infrastructure, and no respect for historical truth or civic unity.
His socialism isn’t even the benign idealism of yesteryear; it’s a radical rejection of Western liberal democracy itself. Ask anyone who has fled socialism—Cuban dissidents, Soviet refugees or Venezuelan exiles—and they will tell you: Socialism may start with slogans, but it ends with broken economies, silenced voices, murder of those who dissent and collapsed societies.
The Democratic Party has failed to draw a clear moral and political line. It has lost control of its message, allowing extremists like Mamdani to become the loudest voices in the room. Instead of offering real solutions, they peddle emotional sloganeering, elevate performative radicals and ignore the concerns of working-class, law-abiding citizens. This is not leadership—it’s abdication.
The Republican Party, meanwhile, has struggled to connect with urban voters or effectively counter this narrative. But the failure of one party does not excuse the collapse of another. America’s cities—and our democracy—deserve better than this binary of dysfunction.
If Democrats truly care about reclaiming their mantle as defenders of civil rights, public safety and inclusive governance, they must distance themselves from figures like Zohran Mamdani. They must reject the romanticization of radicalism and return to a politics rooted in reality, responsibility and respect for all communities, including Jewish Americans.
New York City is not a Socialist experiment. It is a beacon of pluralism, culture and resilience. We cannot allow it to be led by someone who believes in globalizing violent uprisings rather than building inclusive solutions. Those who yell into microphones and only get emotional when the cameras are on are not to be trusted (history has taught us that). Anyone who understands communication in politics and media understands that, especially when sloganeering and performative activism are not supported by actual policy and genuine intent to represent an entire constituency.
Leadership requires more than performative outrage. It requires vision, empathy, the desire to unify communities and the courage to fight bigotry, instead of nourishing it.