- Promise to set an example to the world through New York’s leadership.
- Center his message on cost of living pressures and economic justice
- Vows to stand with those he said were betrayed by established order.
Zohran Mamdani vowed on Thursday to show that left-wing politics can succeed as he took over as New York’s mayor in a period that will surely see him cross paths with US President Donald Trump.
Thousands of people gathered in freezing conditions in America’s largest city to celebrate the 34-year-old Democrat’s inauguration after his impressive political rise from relative anonymity just a year ago.
“They want to know if the left can govern. They want to know if the struggles that hit them can be resolved,” Mamdani said outside City Hall.
“We want to do something that New Yorkers do better than anyone else: We want to set an example for the world,” he added in a 24-minute speech.
Mamdani, New York’s first Muslim mayor, emphasized the cost of living issues central to his mayoral campaign as he pledged to help those “betrayed by the establishment.”
Left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also delivered remarks in front of about 4,000 ticketed guests.
Several thousand people thronged downtown Manhattan, many wearing yellow and blue caps emblazoned with “Zohran,” to watch Mamdani’s ceremony on big screens.
“This is the first time in our entire lives that any of us have felt any kind of political hope,” said 31-year-old Jacob Byerly, a scientist. AFP with his wife, Auburn.
Ambitious agenda
It remains to be seen whether Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, can deliver on his ambitious agenda, which includes rent freezes, universal childcare and free public buses.
Once an election is over, “symbolism only goes so far with voters. The results start to mean a lot more,” said New York University associate professor John Kane.
How Trump behaves could be decisive.
The Republican, himself a New Yorker, has repeatedly criticized Mamdani, but the pair held surprisingly cordial talks at the White House in November.
But a flashpoint could be immigration raids as Trump carries out a growing crackdown on migrants across the United States.
Mamdani has pledged to protect immigrant communities.
Before the November vote, the president also threatened to cut federal funding to New York if it elected Mamdani, whom he called a “communist maniac.”
The mayor has said he thinks Trump is a fascist.
Symbolic initiation
Mamdani’s inauguration was crammed with symbolism.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully prosecuted Trump for fraud, performed a private oath at midnight in an abandoned subway station.
Mamdani’s office said the discreet venue under City Hall reflected his commitment to working people.
And in a first for the city, Mamdani used Korans to be sworn in as mayor — two from his family and one belonging to Puerto Rico-born black writer Arturo Schomburg, The New York Times reported.
The new job comes with a change of address, as he trades his rent-controlled apartment in the borough of Queens for Gracie Mansion, the luxurious mayoral residence on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Some had wondered if he would move to the official mansion given his campaigning on affordability issues. Mamdani said he did so primarily for security reasons.
Born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin, Mamdani moved to New York at the age of seven and enjoyed an elite upbringing with only a relatively short stint in politics.
To compensate for his inexperience, he surrounds himself with experienced aides recruited from previous mayoral administrations and former US President Joe Biden’s administration.
Mamdani has also opened dialogue with business leaders, some of whom predicted a massive exodus of wealthy New Yorkers if he won. Property managers have denied these claims.
As a defender of Palestinian rights, he will have to reassure the city’s Jewish community – the largest in the United States – of his inclusive leadership.
Recently, one of his employees resigned after it was revealed that she had sent anti-Semitic tweets years ago.
