Leftist Mamdani to take over as New York mayor under Trump shadow
Zohran Mamdani, a young newcomer to the US left, was set to take over as mayor of New York on Wednesday for a term that is sure to see him cross swords with President Donald Trump.
After the clock strikes midnight in 2026, Mamdani will be sworn in at an abandoned subway stop and take over the largest city in the United States. He will be New York’s first Muslim mayor.
His office says the low-key venue for the inauguration reflects his commitment to working people, after the 34-year-old Democrat campaigned on promises of solutions to the rising cost of living.
But it remains to be seen whether Mamdani, who was virtually unknown a year ago, can deliver on his ambitious agenda of rent freezes, universal child care and free public buses.
New York University lecturer John Kane said that once an election is over, “Symbolism only goes so far with voters. The results start to matter a lot more.”
What Trump does could be a deciding factor.
The Republican, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, but the two had surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November.
Lincoln Mitchell, a political analyst and professor at Columbia University, said the meeting “couldn’t have gone better from Mamdani’s perspective.”
But he warned that their relationship could quickly deteriorate.
At a time when Trump is waging a widening crackdown on immigrants across the United States, one flashpoint could be immigration raids.
Mamdani vowed to protect immigrant communities.
Before the November vote, the president also threatened to cut off federal funding to New York if he elected Mamdani, whom he called a “communist lunatic.”
The mayor-elect said he believes Trump is a fascist.
– Block party –
The special midnight swearing-in ceremony to begin Mamdani’s four-year term will be conducted by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud.
A larger ceremonial opening is planned for Thursday, with speeches from left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Approximately 4,000 ticketed guests are expected to attend the event outside City Hall.
Mamdani’s team also threw a block party that he said would allow tens of thousands of New Yorkers to watch the ceremony at streetside viewing areas along Broadway.
The new job comes with a change of address for Mamdani, who swapped her rent-controlled apartment in Queens for a luxury mayoral residence in Manhattan.
Some had wondered whether he would move into the official mansion because of his campaigns on affordability issues. Mamdani said he did this mainly for security reasons.
Born in Uganda to parents of Indian descent, Mamdani moved to New York City at the age of seven and had a relatively short stint in elite education in politics, becoming a member of the New York State Assembly before being elected mayor.
To compensate for his inexperience, he surrounds himself with seasoned aides recruited from past mayors’ offices and former U.S. president Joe Biden’s administration.
Mamdani also initiated dialogue with business leaders; some of them predicted a mass exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Real estate leaders have refuted these claims.
As a defender of Palestinian rights, he will have to reassure the Jewish community of his inclusive leadership.
One of his recent hires resigned after it was revealed that he had posted anti-Semitic tweets years ago.
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