Sorry, Republicans: ‘Democratic socialist’ is no longer a career-ender in US politics
by Glenn C. Altschuler, opinion contributor - 11/16/25 8:00 AM ET
At his victory celebration on election night, Zohran Mamdani declared, “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.”
As the crowd roared its approval, the mayor-elect reaffirmed his priorities: freeze rents on stabilized apartments; make bus service free; construct 200,000 housing units; raise the minimum wage to $30 an hour by 2030; provide free universal childcare and “a better distribution of wealth for all God’s children.” He then thanked young New Yorkers “who refuse to accept that the promise of a better life is a relic of the past.”
President Trump mocked Mamdani as a “liddle communist.” He promised to withhold federal funds from New York, “other than the very minimum as required.”
Salivating at the prospect of making Mamdani the face of the Democratic Party in the 2026 midterms, Republicans released a digital ad immediately after his election win: “A radical left earthquake just hit America. The epicenter: New York … your city could be next. Stop socialism. Stop Democrats.”
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https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5606186-socialism-gaining-popularity-affordability/
