Mamdani sparks firestorm with resurfaced comment on abolishing private property: 'He's a communist'
"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?" Mamdani questioned in a resurfaced video that has been clipped and reposted across conservative social media.
"If there was any system that could guarantee each person housing, whether you call it the abolition of private property or you call it, you know, just a statewide housing guarantee, it is preferable to what is going on right now," Mamdani 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," he said.
The clip drew widespread condemnation from conservatives, including GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who told Fox News Digital, "He claims to be a socialist, whether it's wanting to abolish private property or wanting to seize the means of production, these are communist ideas right out of the playbook of Karl Marx."
"The fact that too many members of the media, too many members of the Democrat Party, are willing to go along instead of calling him out on it is disturbing, and I think that if the majority of New Yorkers knew what this guy truly stands for and how destructive and dangerous his policies are, there's no way that they vote from, because so many in our city. Led places where socialism and communism destroyed their lives," Malliotakis, whose mother fled communism to the United States from Cuba, said.
GOP Rep. Mike Lawler, who represents New York's 17th Congressional District, also took issue with the post.
"Zohran Mamdani's call to abolish private property is dangerous and un-American," Lawler said.
"It's the kind of radical socialist nonsense that would destroy livelihoods in the Hudson Valley and across New York. This will bring economic chaos, and New Yorkers deserve better than out-of-touch extremists pushing communist agendas that threaten our way of life."
"Mamdani's call to abolish private property isn't just radical, it's dangerous," Rep. Claudia Tenney told Fox News Digital. "Stripping this fundamental right would devastate families, close small businesses, and destroy entire communities, all while handing more power to the government. Private property is a cornerstone Constitutional principle. It represents the essence of personal freedom, economic opportunity, and the American Dream. We must defend it."
"Mamdani isn't offering a housing plan — he's pushing a communist manifesto. The idea of abolishing private property is fundamentally anti-American and wildly out of touch with the real issues New Yorkers face," Rep. Nick Langworthy told Fox News Digital. "Families are fleeing the City and our State because of high costs, crime, and broken leadership — not because there's too much freedom. New York City has to decide: do they want a mayor who believes in safety and prosperity, or a communist who wants to seize your home?"
The comments sparked a social media firestorm as well.
"Yea, this guy is definitely not a communist," Donald Trump Jr., who recently spoke to Fox News Digital about the prospect of Mamdani being mayor, sarcastically posted on X.
"He is a communist," GOP Sen. Ted Cruz responded to the viral clip on X.
"Like I said he's a communist," Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen posted on X.
"Yes, you heard that right," New York GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik posted on X. "Like the true Communist he is, Commie Mamdani supports the "abolition of private property." This is the NY Democrat Party @KathyHochul you lead and you have failed to condemn this dangerous insanity."
"Meet the new leader of the Democrat party, everyone," GOP Sen. Roger Marshall posted on X. "He's a literal communist."
Since his surprise victory in the Democratic primary rocketed him to nationwide recognition, Mamdani has faced heated criticism and been labeled a "communist" for a variety of positions he has espoused, including on social media where resurfaced clips have come back to haunt him.
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