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Alongside the post, Mamdani wrote:
“Thank you, New York City. Together we made history. Now let’s get to work.”
That “work,” apparently, starts with opening wallets — and it’s already sparking outrage across the political spectrum.
Backlash Erupts: “Already Begging for Money”
The internet’s response was swift and unforgiving. One user mocked, “It’s been less than 24 hours since Mamdani won the election & he’s already asking for money. Congratulations New York City, bravo.”
Another commented, “Islamist and Communist Mamdani promises ‘free’ stuff. Now he begs for donations?”
A third added bluntly, “Already begging for money. What a joke.”
For many, the moment symbolized what critics have long warned about Mamdani’s platform — a socialist agenda that starts with emotional promises and ends with someone else footing the bill.
Van Jones Sounds the Alarm
Even Van Jones, a liberal commentator and former Obama adviser, raised concerns about Mamdani’s demeanor after his fiery victory speech. Speaking on CNN, Jones said he noticed an instant “character switch” from the calm, charismatic candidate New Yorkers saw on the campaign trail.
“I think he missed an opportunity. I think the Mamdani that we saw in the campaign trail, who was a lot more calm, who was a lot warmer, who was a lot more embracing, was not present in that speech,” Jones said.
“I think his tone was sharp. I think he was using the microphone in a way that he was almost yelling. That’s not the Mamdani that we’ve seen on TikTok and the great interviews and stuff like that.”
Jones warned that the aggressive tone could alienate moderate voters still unsure about Mamdani’s far-left views.
“There are a lot of people trying to figure out, ‘Can I get on this train with him or not? Is he going to include me? Is he going to be more of a class warrior even in office?’” Jones said. “I think he missed a chance tonight to open up and bring more people into the tent.”
He concluded that while Mamdani’s win was historic, his speech “will probably cost him going forward.”
Claiming a “Mandate for Change”
Mamdani declared victory roughly two hours after polls closed, capturing 50.4% of the vote to Cuomo’s 42%, according to the city’s Board of Elections.
During his 20-minute speech, the 34-year-old mayor-elect reveled in his identity and political ideology, declaring:
“The conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.”
He went on to proclaim:
“New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics, a mandate for a city that we can afford and a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that.”
