- In an old video, Zohran Mamdani called for abolishing private property to guarantee housing for all
- Mamdani's old video sparked widespread criticism on social media
- GOP Rep. Mike Lawler called Mamdani's views dangerous and un-American
Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic mayoral nominee in New York City, is facing criticism after an old video in which he's heard calling for the abolition of private property went viral this week.
In the video, the 33-year-old stated that any system that guaranteed a home to everyone, even if it meant abolishing private property, would be better than the current situation, where most people couldn't afford housing.
"My platform is that every single person should have housing, and I think faced with these two options, the system has hundreds of thousands of people unhoused, right? For what?"
He said, "People try and play like gotcha games about these kinds of things, and it's like, look, I care more about whether somebody has a home."
Social media users were quick to criticise him.
One person wrote, "If that happens, cut off federal funds and wall off the city. It'll be like escape from NY the movie."
Another commented, "If I ever have to live in a country that's run like that please just deport me to Antarctica."
"As he says this from the security of his own private home. .. People like him need to be washed off the face of the Earth," wrote the next.
GOP Rep. Mike Lawler, who represents New York's 17th Congressional District, mentioned that Mamdani's call to abolish private property is dangerous and un-American, reported Fox News. He mentioned, "It's the kind of radical socialist nonsense that would destroy livelihoods in the Hudson Valley and across New York, as it will bring economic chaos."
Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital that Mamdani was not offering real-life solutions to housing problems. Instead, he's promoting extreme communist ideas, like getting rid of private property.
The New York Post also obtained another video of Mamdani where he supported seizing the means of production. This means he supports more government control of businesses and factories.
Over the course of ten years, his housing plan aims for the construction of 2,00,000 new affordable homes.
The mayoral hopeful defeated former New York Governor Chris Cuomo in what was a huge upset in Democratic primaries in a long time.
