❓WHAT HAPPENED: A video clip of the Democrats’ New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani endorsing “the abolition of private property” sparked controversy online.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zohran Mamdani, Republican lawmakers including Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and social media commentators.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The undated clip went viral on social media on July 17, 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Whether you call it the abolition of private property or just a statewide housing guarantee, it is preferable to what is going on right now.” – Zohran Mamdani
🎯IMPACT: The remarks drew widespread criticism, with opponents labeling Mamdani a communist and calling for his defeat in the upcoming election.
Zohran Mamdani, the Democrat candidate for New York City mayor, faced a wave of backlash after a video clip of him advocating for “the abolition of private property” gained traction online. The footage was initially shared by the pro-MAGA Twitter account “End Wokeness” and subsequently amplified by prominent Republicans, including Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY).
In the clip, Mamdani, who is currently a New York state assemblyman, stated, “My platform is that every single person should have housing… whether you call it the abolition of private property or… just a statewide housing guarantee, it is preferable to what is going on right now.” He added that he prioritizes ensuring people have homes over adhering to the current system.
Senator Cruz responded to the clip by calling Mamdani “a communist,” while Stefanik labeled him “Commie Mamdani” and criticized Democrat New York Governor Kathy Hochul for failing to condemn Mamdani’s remarks. “This is the NY Democrat Party @KathyHochul you lead, and you have failed to condemn this dangerous insanity,” Stefanik wrote on Twitter.
Other critics, including Amy Kremer and Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY), expressed alarm at Mamdani’s comments. Lawler described the proposal as “bat shit insane” and urged voters to reject Mamdani at the ballot box in November, while Kremer accused him of wanting to seize personal property, including homes and apartments. The New York Young Republican Club referred to Mamdani as a “thoroughbred Marxist” and a “discount Bolshevik.”
Notably, Mamdani also supports the abolition of prisons and defunding the police. Born in Uganda, he is a member of Shia Islam’s extremist “Twelver” sect, and only became a U.S. citizen in 2018.
Zohran Mamdani says he’d be in favor of the “abolition of private property” pic.twitter.com/WRs6JEG5tv
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 17, 2025
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