(The Epoch Times)—New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani quickly advanced his democratic socialist agenda on Jan. 1, passing a series of executive orders and using his inauguration speech to promote collectivism.
“We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism,” he said after a swearing-in ceremony in front of City Hall.
After speeches from fellow democratic socialists Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Mamdani advocated universal childcare, freezing rents, and making “buses fast and free.”
Hours into his new administration, Mamdani launched a series of changes, such as establishing a deputy mayor for economic justice, a new Office to Combat Antisemitism, and an advisory Commission on Universal After-School.
Other developments included a new Office of Community Hiring and Workforce Development, designed to help prepare New Yorkers for “career success and economic security,” and multiple task forces aimed at catalyzing housing development.
Mamdani, 34, beat out former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, in the mayoral election last year amid intense scrutiny of his socialist ideology. He’s replacing another Democrat, Eric Adams, who has criticized socialism and stood in the crowd as Mamdani suggested the city had left residents behind.
“I stand alongside countless more New Yorkers watching from cramped kitchens in Flushing and barbershops in East New York, from cell phones propped against the dashboards of parked taxi cabs at LaGuardia, from hospitals in Mott Haven and libraries in El Barrio that have too long known only neglect,” he said.
Boos could be heard from the audience after Mamdani mentioned Adams, who ended his 4-year tenure. Adams was indicted in 2024 for alleged bribery, which he has denied, and federal prosecutors later dropped the case under the Trump administration. Despite calls for his resignation, Adams stayed in office and sought reelection before dropping out of the race in late September.
One of Mamdani’s first executive orders rescinded executive orders Adams issued on or after Sept. 26, 2024, the date of his indictment. During his speech on Jan. 1, Mamdani positioned his administration as following in the footsteps of former Mayor Bill de Blasio and his goal of ending inequality.
“I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist,” he said. “I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.”
Mamdani has called for city-owned grocery stores, taxing the city’s most wealthy, and “Trump-proofing NYC” by keeping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers out of city facilities and increasing legal support for illegal immigrants.
Mamdani and Trump, a native New Yorker, have traded jabs over the past year, with Trump criticizing the then-candidate as a “communist.” More recently, the two met in the Oval Office, where they highlighted their shared interest in New York, home to Trump Tower and Trump’s family business.
“We have one thing in common. We want this city of ours that we love to do very well. And I wanted to congratulate the mayor,” Trump told reporters as Mamdani stood next to him.
When asked about the communist label, Trump said Mamdani had “views that are a little out there” but that he was confident Mamdani could do a “good job.”
When reporters pressed Mamdani about his previously labeling Trump a “despot” and a “fascist,” he said he appreciated how the meeting was focused on “the shared purpose that we had in serving New Yorkers” instead of disagreements.
Trump later interjected, saying, “I have been called much more than a despot.
“It’s not that insulting,” the president joked. “I think he will change his mind after we get to working together.”
Immigration could be a sticking point for cooperation between the two leaders as they’ve offered sharply different visions on the issue. Under Trump’s second term, the city and the Trump administration, which has been prioritizing immigration enforcement and deportation of illegal immigrants, have sued each other over various immigration-related issues.
One of Mamdani’s executive orders on Jan. 1 established the Office to Facilitate Pro Bono Legal Assistance, which was tasked with compiling and providing “information on the availability of providers that offer pro bono legal services to City residents and entities that serve them.”
He also directed the new office to “coordinate with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the New York City Department of Social Services on the distribution of funds for immigrant legal services.”
His deputy mayor for economic justice has also been tasked with “supporting, uplifting, and protecting immigrant communities.”
Emel Akan contributed to this report.
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